Of Creation and Destruction
by FTEcho 4
Summary: Formerly "The Spirit of Youth." A life has been destroyed: the life of Ash. But after everyone moves on, his spirit returns to his friends Brock and Misty, and that return sparks a journey across the world to recreate that which was lost... An AAMRN.
1. Shattered

**Edit:** When I first wrote the intro to this chapter, I was very depressed. I know that know. I realize it sounds very melodramatic, but I'm not going to remove it for nostalgic reasons. Just... man, I sounded stupid back then. I'd advise that you skip it. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Okay. Here we go. The beginning. I must complete this. I shall. I have the ability. I have the inclination. All I have to do is write it… Somehow this was easier in my head.

Do I really have to say that I don't own Pokemon? I would think you could figure that out on your own. But just in case: I hold no rights to Pokemon, or anything else, excepting only the plot of this story. You'll be able to tell if I ever do gain control of Pokemon, because the first episode, Ash will actually be seventeen, and that will be explicitly stated. Three episodes after that, Misty will come back. The next ten episodes will build back up their relationship until they finally admit their love in the eleventh and twelfth. Also, there will be a good plot, and it will be... dark. Heh heh heh…

Before you read any further, a warning: I have a great deal of darkness in my heart. I will not guarantee you a happy ending to this tale. I'm human, just as you are, reader, and I do so love a happy ending. But as I write these words, the ending is not yet set in stone. I have several possibilities in mind, but I don't know which one is going to fit the rest of the story until I write it, if indeed any of them will. And I am not a happy man. By my right, I will do as I see fit. But on my honor, I will swear this: I will put all I have into this story. I will labor to make it the best I can. I do not expect to create a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean I won't try. But if any of the preceding statements dissuades you from wishing to read on, the time to leave is now.

Still here? Good.

Now, remember that dark heart I told you about? Well, you're about to see what I mean. This story begins on what is probably a familiar scene to you, reader, provided you like Pokemon as much as I do. But this story is about to take a tragic turn. Here we go, my friend. Are you ready?

It begins.

* * *

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter One: Shattered_

The battles raged through the field.

Ash Ketchum stood high above the battlefield, witness to an atrocity. Stripped of their abilities, Mewtwo's clones fought their counterparts hand to hand, tooth to tooth, and claw to claw, each struggling to prove their place in the world, to prove that _they_ were greater, that _they_ deserved life. Ash saw none of this conflict. All he saw was tremendous suffering, as each battle approached a standstill, neither side gaining dominance, with all involved slowing until they became too weak and injured to continue. Ash felt his heart begin to break as he watched the pointless fighting. _How could he allow this?_ Ash thought, his eyes turning to the battle raging in the sky. For Mewtwo, Mew's clone and the mastermind behind this battle, fought his nemesis as well. Mewtwo and Mew, each protected by a shield of psychic energy, bounced off each other again and again, neither one able to gain an advantage.

Ash climbed quickly down from his vantage point, moving carefully over the stone exterior of the tower. As he climbed, he saw his Pikachu in the fray below. Though it was beaten to the ground again and again by its clone, Ash's Pikachu refused to fight back. Ash watched his Pikachu stand once more, as his clone stood over him and yelled "Pika chu!" an obvious command to fight back. Pikachu simply replied "Pi kachu" with a voice filled with heartache as he shook his head, and was tackled once more to the ground. Ash felt a strange rush of pride that his Pikachu would not stand for this pointless fighting, mixed with sadness and fury at seeing his beloved Pokemon knocked back yet again.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as Pikachu fell and lay still. Ash scrambled quickly down the tower, falling and injuring him himself on the stone steps below. Ash stood through the pain and saw Pikachu rise yet again, still refusing to fight as his clone slapped him again and again, until both Pokemon were crying at the futility of their combat. Pikachu finally could take no more, and fell, but soon he struggled back to his feet and turned to face his opponent once again. Ash flew down the stairs, and with a cry of "Quit it! Please, stop!" leaped down to fall onto the battlefield. Brock and Misty quickly rushed to his side to help. "We've gotta stop this!" Ash cried, crawling onto his knees and turning his eyes once more to the fighting.

"But how?" Brock said, looking to the skies where Mewtwo's battle continued. "All Mewtwo cares about is proving how strong those super-clones are!" Strong as they were, neither the originals nor the cloned Pokemon could stand the fighting much longer. The violent struggling was starting to take its toll, and several battles had already ended, both sides too weak to continue.

Ash was done. He had in a single hour seen enough fighting and pain to last him a lifetime. "Someone's got to take a stand… Someone's gotta say no, and refuse to fight… Just like Pikachu." And it seemed that Ash was right, for Pikachu's refusal to fight was finally starting to weaken his clone's resolve. With tears in his eyes, the clone slapped weakly at Pikachu once more, and then fell into his arms. It seemed, for an instant, that the clones could be stopped, and the fighting ended in peace.

But right at that moment, Mewtwo's struggle against Mew fell from the skies. The two Pokemon hit the ground in the center of the battlefield, and the blast of psychic force was enough to stop all the battling Pokemon as they were thrown away from the point of impact. Great clouds of smoke and debris blew up, and residual psychic energy crackled madly through the air before fading away. Their energy fields disrupted by the blast, Mewtwo and Mew fired blasts at one another, throwing up another large explosion, and forcing the two dueling Pokemon away from the center. Mewtwo and Mew glowed brightly as they charged again, and each prepared to unleash the strongest attack they could muster. _Somebody… anybody… has to stop this_, Ash thought. He looked around the edges of the field and saw the Pokemon huddled in fear and anguish. Ash drew his resolve from them, determined to end the insanity before any damage was done that could not be undone. Ash stood, and ran towards the center of the last battle. Brock cried for Ash to stop, but he would not listen. _What does he plan to do?_ Misty thought frantically as she watched him sprint. _He can't survive those attacks!_

"You've gotta stop right now!" Ash cried as he ran.

As Mewtwo and Mew fired, Ash gave one last cry of "STOP!" and lunged between the pair.

The beams converged upon Ash, engulfing him an explosion of light and sound that shook the entire stadium.

"Ash!" "No! NO! ASH!" Brock and Misty cried out to their friend, but it was far too late for such words.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu, seeing his master's peril, finally found the strength to stand, but he, too, was too late.

The light faded, revealing Ash hovering in the center of the stadium, surrounded by a soft glow. He slowly fell to the ground. With his remaining strength, he looked up, searching for his friends. For a moment, his eyes locked onto each of them in turn. "Pikachu… Brock… Misty… I…" His head fell forward and his eyes closed as the last of his strength ebbed away. Then came the most terrible sight of all.

As his friends looked on, Ash's body shattered.

Starting at his feet, the light surrounding him faded, and as it did, he crumbled and scattered like dust into the air. The effect slowly worked his way up his body, until all that was left was his torso, then his chest, then only his head, until finally only his hat remained behind. As the rest of his clothes and body vanished, his signature hat fell to the ground, its support gone. As it fell, so too did Brock and Misty. They could not believe it. Ash Ketchum, their friend, their companion, the boy that they had both grown to love, was gone.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu rushed to the spot where Ash had lain seconds before, hoping to find some clue, some trace that would indicate that he still lived, that he was still there in some form, but there was nothing left behind, nothing, save six empty Pokeballs, a worn Pokemon League cap, and a world of broken hearts.

"Pikapi." Tears began to fall from Pikachu's eyes as he spoke his name for his trainer once more.

"Oh, Ash…" Misty murmured. She turned her eyes from the tragic scene to look at Brock. His eyes looked dead and strangely vacant, his face frozen in disbelief. Brock noticed her glance his way, and their eyes met. Misty saw the hopelessness there, and at that moment the truth hit her fully: Ash was dead.

Misty's shoulders shook as she sobbed. Brock was able to hold on, just barely, for Misty, but deep inside, he despaired as well. The two friends held each other, and each found a small bit of comfort in the arms of their friend. Pikachu walked slowly over to the pair, holding Ash's cap, the last bit of his former master. Misty reached out with a shaking hand to take the hat, but she could not touch it. Somehow, it seemed, taking it would make Ash's death irreversible, and she didn't want to touch it, knowing its owner was gone. She mustered her courage to try again, but Brock stopped her before she had the chance. Instead, Misty reached out to Pikachu, tears in both of their eyes, and held him close to her. "It's okay, Pikachu," she whispered softly, though both knew she was lying. "I'll take care of you." And she knew she would. It was what he would have wanted… And following that path, her mind turned back to Ash. She grieved. They all did. Even the cloned Pokemon, seeing the loss and the sacrifice, were moved to tears.

Even Mewtwo felt the loss. _The human sacrificed himself for the Pokemon… all the Pokemon. _Mewtwo looked at the original Pokemon and the clones, but even he, their creator, saw no difference in them now. In their grief, they had become as one. Mewtwo's thoughts of which were superior echoed hollowly through his mind, as he saw the foolishness of all his work. _I did this. I brought this upon them all, _He despaired. "_I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant," _Mewtwo thought to Mew._ "It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are._" Ash had given up his gift for others; Mewtwo would repay him however he could. For a moment Mewtwo hovered in thought, trying to think of some way that he could repair this damage, to return the boy, and all the while thinking that nothing ever could. All he could do was separate himself and his clones from them, to keep this from happening ever again.

Mewtwo and Mew worked in concert, lifting the clones off of the field into the sky with him, to take them somewhere far away, where they could live in peace. "Where are you going?" Misty screamed into the sky, her eyes blazing through the tears. "Come back here!" Hearing this, Mewtwo halted his ascent, and turned towards Misty, so he could look into her eyes.

"_I can never repair the damage I have done today," _Mewtwo replied into their minds._ "All I can do is work to ensure that this never occurs again." _He paused, lowering his head, and added in what seemed a soft voice_, "Truly, I am sorry for what I have caused. I wish I could help ease your pain, but I cannot recall the dead, nor can I reverse the past… I will return you back from whence you came... Ash taught me much about myself in his short time here. I will carry his memory with me forever. I hope that you will do so as well…" _With that, Mewtwo and his clones flew off into the sky, and a bright light engulfed the island…

* * *

_What now? What do we do now? _Misty's mind raced in circles, around and around, always trying to avoid the thought of Ash, how he looked as he fell, as he crumbled to dust before their eyes, how he had saved them, and worst of all how he was gone, gone, gone, beyond all hope of recall… _Damn it! What was he thinking? Why didn't I stop him? Why, why, why, why, why… _Misty and Brock sat numbly in the Pokemon center where they had been sent by Mewtwo from the island. Neither of them had moved or spoken since they had arrived from their ordeal, physically unharmed, but emotionally broken. Pikachu, still holding Ash's cap, was sobbing silently in Misty's lap, where Misty was unconsciously stroking the grieving Pokemon and whispering that everything would be okay, even as her heart said exactly the opposite; that nothing would ever be okay again, not with Ash taken from them, so violently, so suddenly.

"We have to go to Pallet."

Brock's words pierced through the silence and surprised Misty out of her shocked trance. "What? Why?" She asked through her tears

Brock looked over at her, and with great anguish, said, "We have to… we've got to tell his mother. She needs to know that he's… dead." Tears started to run once more down Brock's face. It was the first time one of them had spoken that Ash was gone.

Misty nodded silently, and they stood up together. "Come on, Pikachu…" Misty carried the electric Pokemon in her arms. He still cried. Misty wondered if he would ever stop. Misty wondered if she would ever stop. Misty gathered up the Pokeballs that now held Ash's Pokemon and put them in her bag. Together she and Brock walked out of the center, and started on their path to Ash's home, where his mother waited, still somehow oblivious of her loss; still happy, at least for a little while. Misty already dreaded their task, but she knew it had to be done.

The walk out of town was strangely silent, and both Brock and Misty loathed to break it. There were no words for what they felt. As they walked out of the border of the town, Pikachu finally fell asleep, exhausted from the tears. Ash's cap fell from his paws. Without a word, Brock and Misty both stopped to stare down at it. Then, ever so slowly, Misty pulled the band from her hair, letting it down out of its normal sideways ponytail. She knelt to the ground, picked up Ash's hat, and placed it softly on her own head. Brock stood quiet while she did this, and as she stood, their eyes met. He gently nodded in agreement. The pair continued on their way, and Misty finally found the strength to keep back the tears. Ash would have wanted her to be strong, even now. She would do it for him.

The trip to Pallet went amazingly quickly, and unbearably slowly. Without Ash there, there wasn't any arguing, or any conversation that wasn't necessary. Misty and Brock still trained and cared for their Pokemon daily, but the fire that they had each had for the task before seemed to have gone out. Misty tried to stay cheerful around her Pokemon, especially Togepi, but she kept slipping. Brock, on the other hand, didn't even try. He worked like a machine, doing exactly what was needed and nothing more. When nights came, they went silently to bed, and when morning came, they packed quietly and left in silence. Misty soon missed even the crying, for even the sadness was better than this emptiness.

Pikachu was the worst of them all. It had not spoken a word since they had left the island. For the first two days, Pikachu wouldn't even walk. When placed on the ground, he would just stand there, looking dazed and lost. Misty and Brock had been forced to take it in turns to carry him. Finally, on the third day, he had started moving about again, though he still preferred to ride on Misty's shoulder. Maybe it was that she still wore the hat, or maybe Pikachu just sensed that Misty had shared a bit of a closer bond with Ash than Brock had, but already Ash's favorite Pokemon favored Misty.

The hours on the road seemed to pass incredibly slowly, but when they finally arrived at Pallet, they could hardly recall the intervening week and a half. They stopped at the border. "Are you ready, Misty?" Brock said.

"No," Misty replied after a moment, "But I'm never going to be ready for this, even if we wait here for a thousand years." The task before them seemed overwhelming. Sure, they had been in danger before, but they had never thought that they would have to do this. Misty wanted to turn and run, and never look back. For a moment, she almost did. Then Brock started forward, and Misty found herself following. They moved at a snail's pace through the town, yet in a heartbeat, they could already see Ash's former home. Another heartbeat, and they were at the driveway; another, and they stood at the door.

Brock raised his hand to knock, and could not. Misty, realizing she was still wearing Ash's hat, quickly removed it. Brock still stood motionless, frozen with his arm raised. Seeing that Brock's strength, which had carried them thus far, had run out at last, Misty took the initiative. She grasped his hand, and they knocked together, three times. "Just a moment!" Delia Ketchum's voice sang out joyfully. Again, Misty and Brock had to steady themselves, thinking of what they were about to destroy. The door opened.

"Misty, Brock!" She cried happily. "Oh, it's been so long! What a nice surprise! Come in, come in! Where is Ash... ?" Delia's smile vanished quickly as she noticed how desolate their faces were.

"He's… Ash is…" Again, Brock faltered, unable to complete the simple sentence.

Ash's mother got the message anyway. Time seemed to stop, and she noticed every detail of the scene before her. Misty holding a familiar baseball cap, the tears glistening in the eyes of the pair, Pikachu's position on Misty's shoulder… everything screamed that something terrible indeed had befallen her only son. "Oh, no. Oh, my Ho-oh, no… what happened to him?" Misty gathered all her strength, and used it to speak three earth-shattering words:

"He was killed."

Mrs. Ketchum's response surprised the pair. Her eyes glazed over strangely. She calmly walked inside and sat down. Misty and Brock followed her inside and sat together across from her, feeling like this was a scene from a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. "Killed. Killed." Delia repeated, staring blankly between the two. "How?"

"A rogue psychic Pokemon, Mewtwo, cloned from Mew," Misty explained slowly. "It was more powerful than we could have imagined. It… captured us and several other trainers. It stole all of our Pokemon, cloned them, and forced them to fight each other to the death. Ash… was caught in the battle between Mew and Mewtwo. He sacrificed himself, and he saved us all. But… he's gone."

"Then he's dead. My son is dead. Did you see…?"

"We… yeah. We saw. He's… he's gone." Brock stammered out.

Finally, the news seemed to hit her. Delia started to shake, and then to sob. "Oh, Ash… My Ash… Oh, why did I let him go? I should have… Arceus help me!" Misty and Brock rushed to try to comfort her, as she shrieked and sobbed in anguish. "Why! Why him? _He was a child! He didn't deserve this!"_ Delia's heartbreak was crushing to behold. Brock, Misty, and Pikachu cried along with her. It was all they could do.

They held each other for what seemed like a lifetime. Delia fluctuated wildly, seeming almost calm one minute and hysterical the next. Once, she started cackling madly, and for a moment Misty feared that her mind had broken, until the laughs dissolved back into sobs. After many hours, Delia finally calmed down slightly. She was still crying, but the hysteria had at last left her. In those hours, she looked as though she had aged twenty years. Misty and Brock had been met at the door by a vibrant woman, still in her prime. What Misty knelt next to now was a tattered remnant of that person.

Brock had gone off to call Professor Oak, both to tell him the news and so that he could come to help with Delia. He soon returned. "He'll be here soon," Brock said. "He took it better than I had expected." Misty looked up at him, and saw something… different about him. Brock had changed over the last few days. Before The Island (unconsciously, she was already referring to their lives that way: Before the Island, and After the Island), he had still retained a bit of the innocence of childhood in him. Now… Misty saw in his eyes a man, stronger, wiser, and infinitely sadder. She wondered for a moment if she had changed as well. But of course, she knew she had. They all had.

Delia was cuddling Pikachu, holding him as a small child would hold a teddy bear to ward off monsters in the dark. Pikachu was a bit squashed, but he didn't mind. It wasn't every day that a mother lost her son, after all. Pikachu crooned soft, soothing words of to his former trainer's mother. He knew she didn't understand, but it gave her a bit of comfort, so he did it anyway.

Pikachu's ears picked up momentarily when he heard Professor Oak's car pull into the driveway. He let himself in, and walked into the room. "Delia…"

"You don't have to say anything, Samuel." Delia spoke calmly, though tears still flowed. "I'll be okay." Oak looked unconvinced, but he didn't speak of it. Delia looked over at Misty and Brock. "I realize how hard this was for you. Thank you. For everything."

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum. For Ash." Misty spoke the words before she realized what she was saying. _What did that mean? _She thought. But Delia took it well.

"Professor… I have Ash's Pokemon with me," Misty said. "What happens to them?"

"I'll take care of them," Oak replied. Then, thinking again, he turned to Ash's mother. "Unless, of course, Delia, you want to…"

"No, no," Mrs. Ketchum replied. "I don't know if I could. I don't think I could take care of them right, remembering him…"

"All right, then, that's settled. I'll take them at the ranch."

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu had been listening, and as Oak spoke, he ran over to Misty and jumped in her lap. "Pika, Pichupi! Pi kachu, pika pika chu pichu! Pikachu chupi Pikachupi!"("No, not him! I won't, I don't want to go with him! I want to stay with Misty!)

Misty looked down, puzzled, until she finally got the gist of it. "I think Pikachu wants to stay with me. I told him I would take care of him…"

"Well, if you're willing, Pikachu is certainly willing, so I don't see why not," Oak replied slowly.

"And I think Ash would have wanted Pikachu to stay with his friend," Delia murmured.

"Okay, then. I'll take care of him." Misty said. Getting out her bag, she found the other five Pokeballs that held Ash's former Pokemon, and handed them over to the professor.

Misty suddenly remembered Ash's hat, which she had been clutching like a lifeline since walking through the front door. "Mrs. Ketchum," She started, holding out the cap, "this was left behind, when Ash… left. Do you want it?"

Delia shook her head rapidly. "No. I don't want anything more. You keep it. I have enough to remember him by."

"Brock, then?" Misty said, turning to face him.

"No, I don't want it either. You have his Pikachu; it seems… fitting, I guess, that you would keep that bit of him as well."

"Well, okay, then. I guess I'll keep it." Misty had not let go of the hat during all of this, but now, with both Delia's and Brock's approval, she placed it once more upon her own head.

* * *

The sky was a light grey, and the air held a slight chill. It was three days later, and they were holding Ash's funeral. It was a simple affair, just Misty, Brock, Delia, Professor Oak, a few of the people from Pallet Town that had known Ash well, and all of their and Ash's Pokemon. It was held in the ranch outside Oak's house. They had decided on that spot because they knew the Pokemon would want to attend and pay their respects, and it was the easiest place for all of them to come. As there was no body to bury, a simple picture of Ash had been set up on a table near a ceremonial headstone. A few somber words about Ash were spoken by Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum, a few tears were shed, a few roses were placed lovingly on Ash's empty grave, and that was that. Those at the funeral paid Delia their respects, and departed towards their own homes. Finally, the remaining four walked off of the ranch into Oak's home, where they sat around a living room, sharing memories of Ash. Before long, though, they ran out of things to say, and for a while they sat in silence.

"What will you do now?" Delia asked Brock and Misty. They looked at one another. They didn't know. The trip to Pallet and the ordeal they had gone through there had blocked all other plans from their minds.

"I guess… I'll probably go back to Cerulean City, to the gym, at least for a little while," Misty said. "Beyond that… I don't know yet."

"I think I'll go on to the Johto region," Brock said. "I'm not needed back in Pewter, at least not right now. And I don't want to sit around. I'd rather stay on the road, and keep seeing new places and meeting new people and Pokemon."

"Well, you're welcome to stay with me as long as you like," Delia said. "I wouldn't want Ash's friends…" She trailed off, crying, unable to complete the remark.

"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said standing up, "but I think I should be on my way. I'll stay at the new Pokemon center in town, and leave for Cerulean in the morning."

"Why don't you stay at the house tonight?" Delia asked, sounding slightly puzzled.

Misty halted, not wanting to offend her. "I just… I need some time to be alone. I haven't had any since Before the Island."

"Yes, I suppose I understand…" Delia replied. "What about you, Brock?"

"Yes," Brock said, "I'll stay here, and leave for Johto when everything is ready."

Misty was startled by this. Misty hadn't thought of Brock leaving her, too, even after he had said he was considering going to Johto. Even though she wanted some time alone, she realized now that she didn't want to be _completely _alone. But she understood his thoughts. They had been falling apart over the trip to Pallet. Neither particularly wanted to speak to the other, because each reminded the other of Ash, and that was still painful. She wondered again if they would ever be the same as before. "Then I guess this is goodbye…" Tears appeared unbidden in Misty's eyes. _Damn it, I'm stronger than this! _

Brock smiled, and she was surprised to see that he was crying, too. "It's okay, Misty. I'll see you again." She wrapped her arms around Brock's neck, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and then turned and walked out of the house, Pikachu following close behind her.

Misty barely held back the coming storm of emotion as she ran through the town. Thankfully, she didn't see any people on her way to the center in Pallet, and she was able to keep her composure as she asked Joy for a room. But as she walked briskly past the desk towards the rooms, she finally started to break. She held on just long enough to get in her room and slam the door shut.

She threw herself down onto the bed and bawled. In two weeks, she had lost her two best friends, and now all she could think to do was to go crawl back home? How had she fallen so far, so fast? She had always been the strong one, able to withstand anything. And now she found herself crying every ten minutes! _Brace yourself, girl! _Misty commanded herself. _You're better than this! You're stronger than this! So start acting like it!_ Even Pikachu was doing better than her now, and he had lost _everything_! _But then,_ Misty thought, _So have I._ Misty steadied herself, and turned to Pikachu. "How do you stay strong, Pikachu?"

"Pika? Chu Pikapika? Pikachu chupi?" (What? How do you not? Don't you feel it?)

Misty thought she understood most of what he was saying, but what did he mean? "Feel what?"

"Pika… chu?" (Feel… it?) Pikachu looked at her quizzically. Either he didn't have the words, or Misty didn't understand them, but either way, Misty couldn't figure out what the little yellow mouse was talking about. She gave up.

"I'll figure it out later," She said. "Now come on. Let's get to bed. I want to be up early and get to Viridian City tomorrow." Misty dressed for bed, and lay down. Pikachu snuggled up with her. He was extremely comforting.

Misty still wondered what Pikachu had meant by "It." She fell asleep wondering.

Misty woke up feeling refreshed, a feeling that quickly vanished. That night had been the first night since Before the Island that she hadn't seen Ash die again in her dreams. She remembered as soon as she woke up, of course, but the night of peace had given her some strength. The mornings had been tough, because every morning, without fail, she would wake up and look around for Ash and Brock. After the year of travelling as a trio, it had become a habit. Over the last week, she would see Brock, but no Ash, and it would all come flooding back. Today, she was totally alone, and that hurt even worse. Well, not totally alone. She looked down at Pikachu. _Her _Pikachu. It was kind of strange, considering how much Pikachu reminded her of Ash, that Pikachu gave her courage instead of taking it away. Perhaps it was that she felt that she had to stay strong for him. She didn't know. She didn't really care, anyway. The effect was all that mattered.

Misty woke Pikachu up, and together they left the Pokemon center, and walked towards the edge of town. Misty felt strange, as though she was experiencing déjà vu, but from someone else's memory. She thought about how just a little bit over a year ago, Ash had made this same journey out of Pallet, with the same Pikachu she had on her shoulder now. She chuckled a bit as she remembered the first time she saw him, when she pulled him out of the river… He was so helpless. And then he took her bike! And he never did pay her back! "Ash Ketchum!..." She caught herself, as she had been about to start up that old argument again… Although by now, she was already secretly glad that he had given her that reason for following him. It had been a wonderful year. And now it was gone.

Misty raised her hand automatically to wipe the tears from her eyes, before realizing that there weren't any there. She hadn't cried while thinking about him. She felt proud and ashamed at the same time: proud that she was getting over Ash's death, and ashamed that she was _already _getting over Ash's death, as though she felt she hadn't mourned long enough. _Ugh… everything's so mixed up, _she thought.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped off of her shoulder and ran off into the forest around the path. "Pikachu! Where are you going?" Misty cried, chasing behind. The mouse led her towards a waterfall on the river. Misty recognized it instantly. It was _the _waterfall, the one she had been fishing by when she met Ash.

Pikachu ran back and forth along the river's edge, as though he was searching for something he had dropped. As he ran, he cried, "Pikapi! Pikapi! Pikapi…" Pikachu finally slowed and stopped, like he had forgotten what he was doing.

"What's the matter, Pikachu?" Misty inquired. He ran to her and leaped into her arms, shivering. _What the heck is going on here?_ Misty was bewildered. Pikachu had never acted like this before, and Misty was spooked. She looked around, expecting to see a dangerous raging Pokemon or some other hazard, but saw nothing. Bolstered a bit, she spoke soothing words to Pikachu, and he calmed down. She stood, cradling him, for a long time. Finally, she realized that they needed to hit the road. Without a bike or car, it would still be a bit of a trek to reach Viridian before sunset, and Misty really didn't want to have to camp alone at night.

She looked around once more, taking in all the memories this place held for her, and then spoke the words she had not been able to speak for the last two weeks, words that she had never wanted to say, until it was too late to say them. "Goodbye, Ash." She spoke softly, and turned away.

"…No, don't say that… It's never really goodbye, Misty… Not if you still remember…"

She whirled about, but before she even began to turn she knew what she would see.

Nothing.

There was no one there.

She could have sworn she had heard Ash right behind her, and yet… the voice was so soft that she promptly wondered if it was just her mind playing a trick on her. She never remembered hearing him say those words, though she knew certainly his voice well enough to know what it would sound like. But why would she have imagined that? _Am I losing it? _She thought frantically. _Hearing voices no one else can hear is never a good sign. _She nearly sprinted back to the road, fretting the whole way, half-hoping and half-dreading that she would hear the voice again. She didn't. When she got back to the road, she let Pikachu climb back on her shoulder, and they walked on.

An hour after sunset, Misty finally made it into Viridian City. They had been making excellent time, until they had been attacked by the flock of Spearow living in the forest. Misty had panicked, and run off into the forest, and although Pikachu took care of the Spearow with a single well-placed Thunder attack (again), she had already got them completely lost. By the time they found the road again, the day was already almost over. She had had to run almost the whole way to get there as late as she did, and she was drop-dead tired. Even the little weights of Pikachu on her shoulder and Togepi in her arms were unbearable. But she made it to the Pokemon center. It had been the hardest day of travel Misty had ever had, and being alone just made things worse.

The worst part was when she reached the center, and Joy recognized her. Joy asked where Ash was, and Misty could not answer. Joy knew something bad had happened, though, and stayed quiet about it after that. Then the nurse said she had a surprise for Misty. She brought Misty outside, behind the Pokemon center.

There, against the wall, sat her old bike, good as new. Nurse Joy had repaired it. Misty walked over to the bicycle, and touched it. She was glad to have it, since it would more than halve her remaining travel time to Cerulean, but it felt… wrong, somehow. That bike had connected her to Ash from the beginning. Taking it back felt like breaking those connections. For a moment, she struggled in her mind between the two choices. In the end, she took it. She was a pragmatist, after all. She thanked Nurse Joy for the bike, and rented a room for the night.

* * *

Two days later, as the sun set, Misty rode her bike into Cerulean City. Pikachu rode in the basket, while Togepi sat in Misty's backpack. With the extra speed, she had made it to Pewter in a single day, and Cerulean in another. She had not had to camp alone anywhere along the way. She was glad for that. It made things easier.

Misty jumped off of her bike as she reached the Cerulean gym. She groaned in distaste, as she always did, upon seeing the outside of the gym. It was an awful, garish thing, covered with rainbows and an enormous Dewgong facade. It was sickeningly colorful, and not at all what Misty thought a gym should look like; regal, powerful, and straightforward. But since the gym building doubled as the stadium for the famous Waterflower Sisters' shows, her sisters had used their own ideas for the design. And Daisy, Lily, and Violet were definitely not known for their tact or seriousness. Misty loved her sisters, but sometimes she wished they could be a bit more mature. Or a lot more mature. Yeah, probably that one.

Misty pulled Togepi out of her bag and carried him, as Pikachu scurried onto his usual spot on her shoulder. Together, the three walked into the gym. She wasn't looking forward to meeting her sisters, because she knew they would want to know why she had returned, and why she had Pikachu, and there was no way she could get away without telling them all that had happened to Ash. She had already had to tell the story once, and that was hard, one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. Right now, she wanted never to speak of Ash's death again.

Luckily for Misty, her sisters weren't at the gym. She found a note inside the front door, which said that the sisters were out shopping, and wouldn't be back until nightfall. Misty was relieved for the temporary reprieve, but her relief quickly turned to anger when she realized that they had completely abandoned the gym. _What the hell are they thinking? _Misty fumed. _What if a trainer had showed up? At least one of them should have stayed!_ _Oh, when they get back…_ Misty took down the note, and tore it up furiously. She had a lot of emotion pent up, and now she finally had something useful to turn it towards: fury at her sisters.

She stormed through the gym, spotting every little detail that her sisters had neglected in her absence, and making mental notes so that she could berate her sisters when they returned. She eventually calmed down somewhat when she reached the pools where the Pokemon resided. It seemed that her sisters had, at least, kept them happy and fit. She was a bit relieved at that, but not enough to completely forgive her sisters.

Pikachu jumped off of Misty's shoulder and ran down to the water. "All right, everybody, come on out!" Misty threw all of her Pokeballs into the air, releasing the Pokemon within. Misty's Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen joined Misty's Horsea and the Seel, Dewgong, and Seaking in the pool, while Psyduck sat around, confused as ever. Misty decided to spend some time swimming with her Pokemon while she waited for her sisters to arrive. "Pikachu, can you watch Togepi while I go change?" Misty asked. She still felt a bit uneasy about giving Pikachu orders.

"Pi ka!" Pikachu faced Misty and gave a mock salute.

Misty laughed, and said "Thanks, Pikachu." Then she jogged off to her room to put away her travelling things and change.

Just over an hour later, Daisy, Lily, and Violet walked into the gym. "Who took down our sign? I, like, totally worked forever on it!" Lily whined as they walked to the pools.

"I know! Like, what if a trainer had come by?" Violet replied. "They wouldn't know what to do! Who would be so thoughtless?" As she finished speaking, the sisters walked into the pool area, where Misty was waiting for them, foot tapping and arms crossed impatiently. They stopped dead upon seeing her.

"So…" Misty began coldly, "How was your day?"

"Misty! We were… well, we… You know…" Violet started timidly.

"Yeah, save it. Now… _Why the __**hell **__would you leave the gym __**completely unsupervised **__**all day long!**_" Misty shouted at them. "I would have thought, after being in charge of the gym for so long, you three might have gained just a _bit _of maturity! But I guess that was just too much to hope for, wasn't it? I guess it's a good thing I decided to come back, because you three are obviously just not competent for the task!"

"Wait, you mean… you're not just, like, visiting?" Lily asked, confused. Misty's sisters had heard this kind of tirade from Misty so many times before that at this point it barely bothered them, but the fact that she had come back to stay, that _was _surprising. "But what about those two guys you were with? Like, what happened with them? And doesn't that Pikachu over there, like, belong to that kid Ash? Where is he?"

And there it was, already. Misty had got so caught up in enjoying her time with her Pokemon and being angry at her sisters that she had forgotten about having to tell them about Ash. Misty looked away from her sisters, over to Pikachu, who was watching his new mistress closely. He ran over to her, realizing that she might need his support now.

"I… I won't be travelling with Brock and… Ash… anymore," Misty mumbled, her rage and fire from a moment ago lost.

"But what happened? And why do you have Ash's Pikachu?" Daisy asked.

"He doesn't belong to Ash anymore." Misty said softly. She bent down and let Pikachu climb onto her shoulder. "Pikachu is my Pokemon now."

Her sister's looked closely at her, and they began to see the pain lurking behind her eyes. "Misty… what happened to Ash?" Violet inquired.

"Ash… died. He was killed by a Pokemon." Misty mumbled. She tried to keep her story as short as possible, so she could get through it faster and try to keep control.

The three sisters gasped in shock at the news. "Oh, Misty… I'm so sorry." Violet said. Lily and Daisy murmured their agreement, and the sisters embraced Misty as one. Their attempts to comfort her sent her over the edge, and she broke down once more, in their arms. Daisy, Lily, and Violet held her as she cried for several minutes, but she soon regained her composure. Once again, Misty felt that strange mix of pride and shame as she recognized how much further she had come in controlling her grief.

* * *

Over the next several weeks, Misty settled back into her old life at the gym. Once more she battled as the Gym Leader, as both she and her sisters agreed that she was by far the best Water Pokemon trainer. Although she wouldn't use Pikachu in gym battles, she trained with him often, and with his help, she trained her Pokemon to overcome their type disadvantages. Pikachu was a little restless at times, having been on the road for so long, but he soon became accustomed to his new life as well. She kept in touch with Brock through mail and phone calls as he journeyed through Johto. It had been hard to talk to him at first, as it would always bring the memories back, but she didn't want to just throw away such a good friend as Brock.

At times she envied him for his freedom and for all the new places he saw and the people and Pokemon he got to meet. He had met Duplica, their friend from Kanto, at an acting contest after a few weeks in Johto, and he now travelled with her. Misty was glad that he wasn't alone anymore; she had felt guilty, for the first couple of weeks, for leaving Brock to travel alone.

Time passed, as it tends to do.

Misty stayed at the gym most of the time. She yearned, now and again, for those old days on the road with her old friends Ash and Brock. Although she never lost contact with Brock completely, the time between phone calls and letters increased steadily, until eventually she only talked with him once every month or two. He had travelled all through Johto, and though he parted ways with Duplica, he journeyed onward to Hoenn, where he met a cute, spunky girl named May and her kid brother Max.

Misty had even got to meet them, once. She had coincidentally been invited to a Togepi Festival at the same place as them. She was glad to get to share in their adventures for once, as they fought a man trying to usurp power over the Mirage Kingdom. While there, Togepi had evolved into Togetic, and helped to defeat the evil man. But Togetic had decided to stay, and guard the Togepis' home in the Mirage Paradise. Misty had been sad, but she let Togetic go. Then they returned back to Hoenn, and Misty had left Brock, May, and Max to return to Cerulean.

When Brock was done in Hoenn, he parted ways with Max and May, and sailed to Sinnoh, where he met another girl, Dawn, who he (surprise, surprise) travelled with for his entire trip there. It always amused Misty, how he could never travel alone, at least not for long, before finding some sort of companion. Brock learned a lot about the world during his journeys, and even met several Legendaries! But in the end, he finally tired of his journeys. He left Dawn with a strange, dark boy named Paul (a jerk by all accounts, but there was a strange connection forming between Dawn and Paul, and he did seem a bit softer around her) and returned to his home in Pewter, where he became, once again, the Gym Leader. Misty was a bit saddened to see his journeys end, especially when hers had ended so long ago, but he seemed happy with his place in Pewter, and she wasn't going to try to convince him otherwise. After that, they kept in very close contact.

With Pikachu's help in training, along with Misty's indomitable, fiery spirit, the Cerulean Gym became one of the most respected and feared gyms, not only in the Kanto region, but even in the world beyond. Many, many trainers tried and failed to defeat Misty; so much so that in the end, she gave out many more badges for trainers who battled hard enough to earn the badge, though they lost in the end, than she did to trainers who actually defeated her (and her standards for the badge were very high indeed).

Eventually the pain of losing Ash receded, for the most part, at least; it never vanished entirely, and every once in a long while, Misty would wake up, drenched in sweat and stifling a scream, from a nightmare of that terrible night when she had lost him.

But the most important thing is, Misty never forgot, over all that time, that young, dense, courageous trainer who she had spent a single, glorious year with, the boy who had given her what were still the best days of her life, Ash Ketchum. How could she? After all, she still had his Pikachu.

And she always, always wore his hat.

Well, whenever she could.

Misty had her own story, a very, very long story, in fact, which stretched over those years, but those years were, really, kind of repetitive, and a bit dull to read about.

For us, the story doesn't really pick up again until six years after Ash's death, on an ordinary afternoon, of an ordinary day, that led to what was anything _but_ an ordinary night…

* * *

BLAM! First chapter complete!

So, how did you like it? I've got to say, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Mostly because I finally finished it, after a great deal of writer's block, and finally a decision to outline the entire story beforehand so I don't get halfway through and realize I don't know where I'm going.

So, some notes:

I've got a pretty good idea where the story is going, but I still have to write it. I do have a lot of free time, but I don't know how long it will take me to write a chapter, especially since I'm aiming for at least four thousand words per update, and hoping for six thousand, and all that takes some time. This chapter is already longer than that, but it's the first, and I had a point I wanted to get to before I cut it off. If I haven't got the next chapter worked out in three weeks, I'll update saying what's wrong. Otherwise, sometime in the next three weeks I hope to finish the next chapter and have it posted. I considered just writing the whole thing and posting it as a single unit, but I think it's going to be waaaay too long for me to do that.

You may have noticed that I removed Togepi from the story. That's because I hate that freaking egg. I hate it, I hate writing about it, and I hate what it did to Misty's character. So I decided that the easiest way to get it gone from this tale would be to use the one they used in the actual show.

And I realize that the odds of Brock meeting exactly the same travelling companions as Ash does in the story are roughly nil, especially considering he skipped the Orange Islands, and therefore skipped over all the time that Ash, Misty, and Tracey spent there, but... I wanted to leave it open for those characters to come into the story if I want them to. I don't know if I will yet, since I haven't written any of it except for some of the second chapter, but you never know. Don't get your hopes up too high, though. If they come in, I don't think it will be for a long while.

Oh, and I realize that there was no AAML in this chapter. I'm sorry, but that's not going to come in at all for a couple of chapters yet. I hope that the prize at the end will keep you reading! I know it's going to keep me writing.

But...

I'll have more motivation if I get some readers and such, so please review. I'll write rather you do or not (I hope), but I'd really like to know what you think. For one thing, readers can catch mistakes and such, and for another… Well, I guess sometimes reviewers have good ideas. I don't know, I don't have any yet.

Okay, then, this is James, aka FTEcho4, signing off! Thank you very much for reading, and I'll be back with more story soon.

April 17, 2010-Minor edits. Fixed the problems in the dialogue and changed a few words throughout for clarity. That is all. ~James

August 3, 2010-Fixed Title and added a note to the top. ~James


	2. Make New Friends, but Keep the Old

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Two: Make New Friends, but Keep the Old_

"Misty."

"Misty."

"Miiiiiiistyy."

"Damn it, she's spacing again!"

"Hold on, I'll get her." A boy stood up and walked over to Misty. He knelt down and whispered, "Misty. Don't freak out, but there's a Weedle right behind you."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! BUUUUUUUUG!" Misty proceeded to defiantly freak right the hell out, flipping off the ground and spinning into a swing with her mallet at the (imaginary) bug behind her. "Damn, Misty. I think you got it!" The boy laughed at her. "Brian!" Misty smashed him to the ground with a hammer blow. "Don't do that! Mew, I don't know what the hell possessed me to tell you about my freaking bug phobia!"

Brian's words were muffled as he said into the ground, "I told you not to freak out. And you didn't exactly tell me so much as you nearly exploded when that Beedrill flew into the gym. This ground tastes terrible." He sat up, rubbing his head. "What were you thinking about, anyway?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about what still needs to be done with the gym. You know the annual League checkup is this week."

Natty busted in, saying "Oh, really? That's a shock, right there. You've only mentioned it, what, twelve times today? And it's not like we all came to help you prepare, or anything."

Misty started to speak, but bit back her normal retort, because Natty was right; they had been working hard with her all day, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful (or at least more ungrateful; she had tried to get most of them to leave for over an hour before finally giving it up as a lost cause). Now they were relaxing by the huge pool outside behind the gym. Misty looked around at her four seated friends.

The boy she had just hit was Brian Edwards, who really didn't have a choice in the matter of helping, since he worked at the gym. He had come home to Cerulean from a Pokemon journey about a year ago. As her three sisters had finally been "discovered" and taken their Sensational Sisters show on the road, she was looking for an assistant at the time. He worked well with the gym's Pokemon, and knew a lot about them. He was by far the best applicant, and so he got the job. She thought that something must have happened to him on his journey, because he didn't like to talk about it, but she didn't know what for certain. His reluctance to speak about his past had gotten Misty curious one night a couple of weeks before, and so she had done a bit of research on him.

She learned that he had lost his parents several years ago, while he was travelling in Kanto. They had taken a private boat out to sea, and got caught in a fierce storm that was presumed to have destroyed the small craft; searchers found pieces of it, but nothing more. But he had continued travelling for a few years after that. She was more surprised to discover that he was a Champion of the Hoenn league, and had placed in two other leagues as well. He had even beat three members of Hoenn's Elite Four! And she knew from some friendly competitive matches that he was one of the few trainers she had met who could actually beat her in a battle. She didn't know what happened that caused him to give it all up and hide everything about himself; hell, if she was a league Champion, she'd have it tattooed on her forehead, not hidden from everyone she knew. She thought about confronting him about it, but she had fought down her curiosity, figuring if he wanted to talk, he would. He was smart and kind, although he tended to become quiet and depressed, sometimes for days at a time. But he had slowly won her over, going from just her assistant to being one of her closest friends.

Natty (or Natalia, depending on what she wanted to be called that day) Brown was… well, she was different. She had followed Brian to the gym one day, unannounced and uninvited, and had simply acted like she was supposed to be there. And, pretty soon, she was. She was loud, bouncy and bright, if a little… off. She tended to spout random nonsense from time to time, for one thing, and she just had an air of… strangeness about her. She had been on her own journey, not as a trainer, but as a breeder (although she did have a trainer's license, so she could own and carry around her Pokemon). She had travelled with Joey and Stephanie, who were both trainers, for several years before returning home with them to Cerulean. Natty's mother ran a breeding center in Cerulean, and Natty helped out there. But just about every other day, she would come along like a storm of insanity, whirling and singing, and just about driving everyone else just as crazy as she was. She loved Pokemon, though, and they seemed to unanimously love her back, as she got along really well with all of the Pokemon at the gym. Misty didn't know as much about Natty as she did Brian, but she knew enough, and Natty had grown on her as well. She was the perfect remedy when Misty was feeling down after a hard day, and that alone was enough to keep her around, despite her craziness.

The last two, Joey Spinner and Stephanie Heath, she knew the least. Natty had invited them to the gym a few weeks back, when she had decided (alone) that they were going to have a picnic. So, when Misty and Brian had come outside to work on the outside pools, they had found Natty with the two others holding what appeared to be a small tea party on the lawn outside. And then Natty had somehow convinced Misty and Brian to take a break and join in, and so the five had spent several hours together. Because they hadn't been around as long, Misty didn't know as much about their pasts, only bits she had gleaned from the few conversations they had shared and from Natalia's offhand remarks about them. They had both been trainers, but neither one was particularly good at it, and so they had both stopped training and had given their few Pokemon away to friends and family. And Misty knew, although she hadn't really been told, that they were dating each other. It wasn't hard to figure out, considering how hard it was to separate them. Sometimes it was cute to watch, and other times they were just so sweet, it was sickening. Other than that, though, they were the most "normal" of the whole group, compared to the other three. They didn't really come around even as often as Natty, usually only appearing once or twice a week, but Natty had told them that Misty needed help today (much to Misty's chagrin), and so they had showed up. Misty didn't mesh with them as well as with the other two, but they seemed to be nice enough.

Misty was glad to have all of them helping her. It was nice, really, to have friends like that who she could rely on, even when she didn't want to. She hadn't really had many friends for the past several years. She had had her sisters, of course, but they weren't the best people to trust in a pinch, or the best to talk to when she needed a confidante. And, of course, there was Brock, but even now, she didn't see him very often. Like her, he was very busy, since he was the acting Pewter City gym leader. He came around every few weeks, and she tried to call him at least once every week, but that wasn't exactly the best conditions for a close friendship. She had tried, of course, but it just wasn't practical to-

"MISTY!" Natty yelled into her ear. Misty jumped as she was shocked out of her thoughts yet again. _I have been doing that a lot, haven't I? _Misty thought. She'd have to work on that.

"What, Natty? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Yeah, I noticed. I was just asking you where Pikachu's gone off to. I want to give him something!" Natty bounced up and down, as she pulled out a little box with a bow. "Come on, where is he?"

"He's inside with Psyduck. I can go get him, though." Misty said.

"Well, do it, then! I want him to see what I got him!"

"Fine, fine!" Misty got up and walked over to the rear gym doors. Walking inside, she called out for Pikachu. From the hall to the indoor pools, she heard him respond, "Pikachupi!" He ran over to her, and jumped on to her shoulder. "So, how is it going?"

"Pi ka." Pikachu put on a comic display of aggravation.

"No luck, then?" Misty replied. Pikachu had finally got tired of Psyduck not being able to swim, even after Pikachu himself had learned to. Pikachu had resolved to teach Psyduck himself, but it wasn't going well. Even after all his training, Psyduck was as perpetually confused as ever. The only difference Misty had been able to make in six years of training was to teach him to use his latent psychic talents without a headache, and that had taken years of constant effort by itself.

"Well, Pikachu, Natty has a gift for you, apparently. It's not your birthday or anything, is it? Or is there some special secret you two aren't sharing with me?" Misty teased him. "Ka chu…" Pikachu got a mischievous look on his face, twirling the fur under his nose like a mustache with his paws.

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh? Well, I'll find out soon enough, anyway." Misty walked back outside with him. "Well, here he is, Natty. Now, what's this gift you've got for him?"

Natty grinned. "I can't tell you! He has to open it first!" She jumped up and ran to Misty and her Pikachu, who jumped gladly towards Natty with a cry of "Pichupi!" the special name he had given her. She caught him in a hug, before giving him the box.

Barely able to contain her excitement, she bounced up and down. "Open it, open it!"

Which, of course, he did.

The box held a small hat. Except for the size, which was made to better fit a small Pokemon like Pikachu, it was an exact replica of the hat that Misty was still wearing. Ash's hat.

"Oh, put it on! I saw it in a shop window yesterday, and I knew I'd seen it somewhere. Then I remembered Misty's, and I just had to get it for you!" Natty was doing cartwheels as she spoke to express her joy.

Pikachu put it on, and the perfect thing to do occurred to him. He spun to face Misty and put up his paw in a V, doing Ash's victory pose. Misty laughed at the joke, as her four friends looked on in puzzlement. None of them knew about Ash, since he had never come up before.

Misty felt a sort of bittersweet joy in remembering him again, as she usually did.

"Why do you wear that hat, anyway, Misty?" Joey asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you take it off."

Brian and Natty had seen her take it off before, just because they had been around longer, but they both knew from experience just how important it was to her. "Yeah, why is that? It hides your hair, and you look really pretty without it on." Brian asked. Then he flushed red, quickly adding, "Not that you're not pretty with it on, too! I just thought… I mean, when I've seen you without… yeah, I'm just gonna be quiet now."

"Ooh, what was that, Brian?" Stephanie smirked at him. "I don't think I quite caught that. Could you repeat it for everyone?" Brian looked around, panicking.

"So, yeah, anyway, what about that hat?" Brian squeaked out, trying to change back onto a safe subject, so Misty wouldn't kill him out of embarrassment, just to prove she could. "What's the deal with that?"

Misty bit her lip, trying to think of what to tell them. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to dredge up her past right now either. She decided to split the difference.

"It was a gift from an old friend I travelled with. The same person I got Pikachu from. We… parted ways… a long time ago, and I haven't seen him since." Misty told them.

"Well, why not?" Natty said. "I mean, if they meant that much to you, why would you just let them go?" Misty wanted to say something back, but she remained silent, hoping that they would just leave it alone before she dug her hole any deeper, and reached her long-buried secrets.

Brian saw something in Misty's eyes, something that he hadn't seen there before, and it worried him. "Natty… I don't think she wants to talk about it. Let's drop it."

"Why?" Natty complained, stomping her foot childishly. "I want to know what happened!"

"Natalia… everyone's entitled to some secrets. Let it go." Brian said.

"Fine," Natty fumed, "I'll stop, for now. But I'll get it out of her eventually." She hated to be out of the loop with a passion.

Misty sent Brian a silent look of thanks. She was going to have to find some way to repay him for that.

"Ughh… it's so boring out here!" Stephanie cried. "Somebody do something fun!"

Misty thought about that. "I know something we could do. Do you have your Pokemon with you, Brian?"

"When do I not?" He lifted his black jacket to show the belt of six Pokeballs running down his front.

"Well, let's have a battle, right here and now, to pass the time."

"One on one, no time limit, as usual?" Brian knew how this went. They'd done it before. They'd tried to get Natty to battle, but she almost never would, since she was clearly outmatched by either trainer in battle, and of course Joey and Stephanie were no longer trainers at all, having given their Pokemon away.

"You know it!" Misty called back. "Natty, will you referee?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Natty grumbled back.

* * *

At the top of an abandoned tower, miles away, a pair of pale eyes flicked open. Their owner felt something… different about himself. Had he done it at last? He looked at himself. He couldn't see any difference, but then, that was to be expected… He was almost certain, though, that he had completed his work. He would have to find someone to test this on. He rose from the floor and sailed out the tower window, scanning the roads below him for some passing human. If he was correct in his assumption, then this would be his first human contact since he had been changed.

He hoped very much that he was right about this.

* * *

Brian and Misty took their positions on either side of one of the large pool arenas, so Misty could better use her Water Pokemon.

Natty stood on the side of the pool and called out in her loudest, blandest voice, "This will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle with no time limit, the victor will be the person with the last Pokemon standing, blah blah blah, you all know how it goes, ready, set, get on with it already."

Misty grinned. Brian had a slight lead in wins over her in these matches, and she was itching to get back on top of the Champion. She spun her hat around so that the brim was out of her eyes, just as Ash had always done years ago. And this time, right beside her, Pikachu spun his new hat around as well. Pikachu was by far her strongest Pokemon, but she knew after all their battles that Brian would expect him, so she would go in the opposite direction to throw him off. "Misty calls… Starmie!" The purple star-pointed Water/Psychic Pokemon flew out in a flash of light and jumped into the water.

"Oh, Misty, how unpredictable you are today!" Brian teased, pulling out his own Pokeball. "Fine, then. I'll see your Starmie, and raise you one… Haunter!" The purple Ghost/Poison Pokemon came out with a cry of "Haunter!" and hovered over the water.

Misty thought quickly. Because her Starmie was part Psychic, Haunter's Ghost attacks would be extra powerful against it. It was a double-edged sword, however, because Haunter's Poison nature made him weak to Psychic attacks. But all of her training with Pikachu had paid off, and her Pokemon were well used to fighting against a type disadvantage. She thought she could pull this one out, but she would have to be careful.

"Starmie, start with a Water Pulse, then dive underwater!"

"Haunter, Six!" Brian had a unique approach to battling. He always prepared his Pokemon with a variety of tactics to use in battle beforehand. It meant that his Pokemon knew exactly what they were to do from one simple command, and in addition, his opponent was usually left in the dark about what Brian's Pokemon was going to do until it had already done it. It, of course, had the downside that his Pokemon might misinterpret the commands, and so it required many hours of practice to perfect. But after so many matches against him, Misty knew several of his strategies herself, so she knew that a six to his Haunter meant that she was going to dodge with a Teleport, then move into a Shadow Ball at the first opportunity. And, sure enough, that was exactly what happened. Haunter Teleported away from the Water Pulse, ending up behind Starmie, who dove under just in time to escape the ghost's attack.

"Good shot, Haunter, that was close! Now, Haunter, when Starmie comes up, move into Thirteen!" Brian commanded. Misty knew this one as well, a Hypnosis followed by a Dream Eater if it was successful. Starmie would almost certainly be knocked out by that combo. So she'd have to have the first strike.

"Starmie, use Surf, and follow up with a Psychic attack!" Misty called. Pikachu stood beside Misty, cheering Starmie on. Starmie's attack preceded her out of the water, surprising Haunter and hitting her before she could move. While she was still dazed from the attack, Starmie used Psychic in an attempt to slam Haunter into the ground around the pool.

"Haunter, snap out of it, and Teleport out of there!" Haunter shook off the daze from the Surf attack, but didn't have enough time before it hit the earth to Teleport. Before Starmie could raise it to attack again, though, it got away. It reappeared in front of Brian, looking very tired. "How are you holding up, Haunter?" Brian asked, concern in his voice. "Haun… ter…" Haunter gave him a weak grin, and a thumbs up, showing that she wasn't done yet. "Great job, girl. Now, let's finish this! Try Thirteen one more time!" This time, Haunter's Hypnosis won through, and Starmie fell asleep.

"No, Starmie! Come on, you can do it! Get up!" Misty cried.

But Haunter's attack came too soon. Dark orbs of energy flew from Starmie to Haunter, weakening the former and strengthening the latter. The upside was that Starmie was awakened by the attack and was now ready to battle, and even with the extra boost from Dream Eater, Haunter was still just about even with Starmie in health.

"Okay, Starmie, end this battle with a Water Pulse!" Misty cried, sensing victory at last.

"No! Dodge it, Haunter!" But Haunter was too weak to move, and the attack hit dead on.

"Haunter Haunt!" Haunter cried as she fell, obviously finished.

"As Haunter is unable to battle, the victory goes to Gym Leader Misty. Hooray, everybody." Natty said, the epitome of boredom.

"YES!" Misty yelled. "You did great, Starmie. Return!" Starmie was pulled back into the Pokeball in Misty's hand.

"Well done, Haunter. I couldn't have asked you for a better job. You deserve a good rest." Brian recalled his Haunter as well. "Great battle, Misty, as always. But…" he said with a grin, "I believe that I'm still one win ahead of you."

"Oh, just shut up! You know that you only won that one battle because Psyduck came out by accident! It's not my fault that I have the world's only water Pokemon that can't swim." Misty fumed.

"A win is a win, Misty." Brian laughed softly. "No matter how dirty and underhanded it may or may not have been."

"Well, this has been great, you guys, but we've got to get going." Joey said, standing up and helping Stephanie to her feet. "We're going to see _The Power of One_ tonight. I hear the special effects are great."

"Ooh, really?" Natty asked. "Can I come? I love Lugia! He's my favorite legendary."

"Um…" Stephanie started sheepishly, not wanting to seem rude, "This is kind of just for the two of us. Sorry."

"Ohhhh." Natty said. She smirked at the pair. "Well, I'd ask you to tell me how it is, then, but I doubt either of you will see much of the movie."

Joey and Stephanie both blushed deeply, before giving a hurried "Yeah, bye," and taking their leave.

Natty looked at her Poketch. "Yeah, I really need to be getting home, too. I told my mom I'd be home… two hours ago. She'll probably be worried sick. I wouldn't be surprised if she's sent out search parties again."

Misty, Brian, and Pikachu all sweatdropped. "Um… why are you still here, then?" Misty asked.

"It was fun!" was all the answer she gave, before sprinting away.

* * *

At that very moment, a scream could be heard miles away, just outside of Lavender Town. A trainer tore through of the woods, looking like he'd just seen a ghost… and behind him, a voice was heard, light as the wind, yelling "I DID IT!" for all the world to hear. The voice laughed and shouted, and then it was heard racing away, crying a name to the skies.

* * *

"Are you leaving, too?" Misty asked Brian.

"Why would I? I don't really have anywhere else to be. I work here, and I live alone." He said, a bit of sadness creeping into his tone. "Unless, of course, you want me to…"

"No, no, you're fine." She replied.

They walked back into the gym, Brian in front, Misty and Pikachu bringing up the rear. Misty stared at his back, wondering what was going through his head right now. He looked so alone… At that moment, Misty's curiosity flamed up. She wanted to help him, but she needed to understand.

"Brian… why did you give up?" She asked.

He stopped, and turned to face her. "Give up at what? You mean, why did I stop training and competing and travelling?" He responded quietly.

Pikachu took the rising tension in the air as his cue to leave.

"Yeah… I mean, I read about your parents…" Brian stiffened, and turned his back to her. She considered leaving it, but then decided that this was probably the best chance she was going to get. "But I know you made it to Hoenn Champion, even after that, and did so well against the Elite Four—"

"Only to fall in the first round of the Sinnoh league." He interrupted bitterly.

"I know… what happened in between? Did that one loss convince you to just give up?"

He chuckled darkly. "I suppose you could say that it was just one loss, but it wasn't at the league. It was in the middle of Sinnoh, in Mount Coronet."

"You mean you lost one battle in the middle of nowhere and decided to quit? Why? You were so good, and you still are, really, I've seen you battle..." Misty couldn't understand how someone could have the will to make it that close to the top and then fall so easily.

"I said it was a loss… I never said it was a battle." He said. He turned back to face her, and she saw a very familiar thing in his eyes. It was pain, the very same pain she had seen in the mirror so often in the months, and indeed sometimes in the years, after losing Ash. Suddenly she knew.

"You lost someone in the mountains?" She gasped in shock.

"Yes… Her name was Diana. I knew her even before my journey began. She travelled with me from the outset, every day from the beginning in Cerulean to the day she… died…" His voice broke on the last word. "I… I think I loved her. I'm quite sure I did, really. Back then, I couldn't imagine my life without her in it. Oh, Misty… she had the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. All I wanted was to make her smile like that every day." He reached into his pocket for his wallet, and he pulled out a picture of himself, next to a vibrant brown-haired, blue-eyed girl. Misty had to admit, she was beautiful. You could feel the energy between them jump out at you. And Brian… he looked happy, far happier than Misty had ever seen him. She handed the photo back.

"That picture was taken three days before she died. To me, it's the most valuable thing I own." Misty could see in the loving smile on his face as he looked at it that he told only the truth.

"After my parents died, she was my whole world. And… I never told her so. I thought I had time. Why not? We were both still so young. I had my whole life ahead of me… I thought she did too." Tears began to fall from his eyes as he put the picture away.

"It was a rock slide. We were taking a path near the top of the mountain. We'd taken half a dozen paths like it before; why should this one have been any different? She got too close to the edge, though… she always did love those high places, up in the mountains… and the cliffside crumbled beneath her. One moment, she was ten feet in front of me. And then… she was gone. A scream, and that's all that was left. The rocks upset when she fell tumbled down after her… And they crushed her. If the fall hadn't killed her, that certainly did. I flew down the mountain after her. I didn't think to call on one of my Pokemon to help me down. I didn't think at all. I just ran. I didn't care right then what happened to me, I just had to get to her… I held her hand when she died, her legs and body broken beyond repair. And right as she died, I finally found the courage to tell her I loved her… two seconds too late." He stopped talking for a moment, and turned away.

"She was without a family, just like me. An orphan. I paid for her funeral myself, out of pocket. I'm rich, you know." He smiled bitterly. "My parents both had life insurance policies, and I inherited everything they owned… over two million dollars cash, in total. Blood money. I suppose without it, though, I couldn't have given Diana her last respects. I was the only attendant at her funeral...

"I tried to go on alone after that, but… my fire had gone out. I couldn't battle right without her, I was just… lost. In the Sinnoh league, I was confused, and too distracted to battle. I couldn't remember my strategies, I didn't even care. I let down all my Pokemon, I let down myself, and I let down Diana. I couldn't keep going after that.

"I'm starting to get over the loss, I think, bit by bit, but… I don't know if I could ever start again. I'd… I'd give anything… even my own life, to have her back…"

He was sobbing too hard now to continue. Misty hugged him, feeling nothing but remorse for forcing him to confront this. She was glad to know, she knew it would help him, to let it out, and she knew she could help him better knowing this, but… right now, she just wanted to take it back, and bring back the boy who had been here a few moments ago.

She did know one thing she could do, though, right now. He had been trusting enough to share his darkest past; it only seemed fair, then, that she should share her own.

"Brian, do you know why I'm the gym leader here? Why I came back, and ended my own journey, when my sisters were in charge?" Misty started nervously. _This_, she thought, _is going to hurt_.

He fought to regain his composure so he could speak. "I've always thought, from what you've said about your sisters, that you took the gym because you didn't trust them with it, because they were so immature, and self-centered."

"Well, that's partially true, I guess. But it's not the whole truth." Misty began.

And so she told Brian all about Ash. She told him about meeting Ash, about all the time they spent together, and last, she told him about the night Ash died. In the end, they held each other, as each cried for their lost companions, Misty's tough shell having been broken for a few minutes by the combination of seeing her friend in such pain, and remembering being that way herself.

Brian asked one more question. "Did you love him?"

Misty was startled. The question had, quite honestly, never occurred to her before. A few people, like her sisters, had joked about it on their journey, but she had never been asked that before by someone who really meant it. She thought for a while. "No, I don't think so." She mused. "I think there was something there, something a little better than just friendship, but… I don't think it was love, at least not yet. I think, probably, if I had travelled with him as long as you did with Diana, I would have loved him. But… no. I didn't."

He nodded. "Perhaps it was better that you didn't."

"Maybe…" She looked at Brian. She saw now how much his past was like hers. They had both lost their parents in tragic accidents, Brian's at sea, and hers in a car accident, and then they had both lost people close to them, and given up on their travels because of it. They were both successful trainers, and they had both suffered a loss of spirit. _The difference,_ Misty thought,_ is that I've already escaped most of that old pain, and he can't seem to fight it off. And that's how I can help him. I can show him the way out of the prison he has made for himself._

"Thanks for talking to me, Misty," Brian said, interrupting her thoughts. "It helped a lot. You know, I've never told anyone about her before? I mean, I don't have any family. I've got close to telling Natalia once before, but she just never seems serious enough to confide in, and she never knew me before I returned here. And… that's it, really. Everyone I'm really close to. Just you and her. So… thanks for talking, and thanks for listening. It's getting late, though. I think I'll take my leave. I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe we can actually get something done without the three amigos running about." He smiled warmly, and left.

Pikachu came out of hiding about three seconds later, holding his favorite item, his ketchup bottle. By the look of it, he'd drank three-quarters of it listening to them. She had to admit, he did look pretty cute wearing his little hat. "So, you little eavesdropping rat, I don't suppose you need to be told what happened." Misty scolded. Pikachu's ears drooped, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, knowing he had been caught out. "Oh, come on, then. Let's go get the Pokemon ready to sleep, and then we can do the same. We do have a big day tomorrow."

* * *

The owner of the voice rushed across the country, flying faster than he ever had before. He had it now, and it was time at long last to show everyone what he was. He just hoped he could get there before nightfall… and with that, he put on still more speed, until at last he came to the place he had been seeking so fervently.

Cerulean…

* * *

Misty walked with Pikachu away from the pools, where the Pokemon had all been collected into their Pokeballs for the night. It was just too much of a hassle to keep them all out all night, and they all knew it. It was, technically speaking, a faster, more efficient recovery method than mere sleep, anyway. Even Pikachu knew that. He wondered, sometimes, what it was like to sleep in one of those… it had been years since he'd been in a Pokeball at all, and he was forgetting even that short experience.

As Misty and Pikachu walked into the hallway adjoining her room, something seemed to grab his attention. He stood straight up for a moment, sniffing the air, before happily exclaiming "Pikapi!" and running ahead into Misty's room. "What is it, Pikachu?" She hadn't heard him say that word in so long… what did it mean, again? It was on the tip of her tongue as she walked into the room.

Then, all thought of what "Pikapi" meant was simultaneously answered and blown completely out of her mind.

At first sight, Pikachu appeared to be floating above Misty's bed, chattering happily all the while despite it. Then Misty noticed that the air around him seemed… solid, like there was something in it, like a haze, but far more defined. Misty took a step forward, and then another. And then she fell to her knees in shock.

Because it wasn't smoke, or a heat shimmer, or any other illusion.

As she drew closer, it became increasingly obvious that it was a human spirit.

And it was the spirit of Ash.

And then, as if to hammer home that point, he spoke.

"Hey, Misty!" He said it very excitedly, exactly like the Ash she remembered, and not at all like you would expect someone to talk after being dead for six years. "Surprised to see me, huh?"

"…Ash…" She whispered. "But… how…"

It was definitely Ash. He looked exactly the same as the last day she had seen him; after six years, he didn't look like he had aged a single day.

"Ah, now that, Misty," Ash's spirit said, laughing, "Is a very long story!"

Misty couldn't stand up, so Ash set down Pikachu and walked over to her. Pikachu stood by Ash's side.

"This can't be real… this is… impossible…" Misty whispered. Then she seemed to find her voice, and shouted, "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Well, duh," Ash said, still seeming very jovial about the whole "being dead" thing. "I am dead! But, Misty, you seem to have mixed up 'dead' and 'gone.' They mean two different things."

Misty was starting to get angry at him, spirit or not. "I… You… Just who the hell do you think you are, Ash Ketchum! You can't just be dead for six years, and then show up unexpectedly out of nowhere and act like it's no big deal! It's a very big deal! You're… you're… you're dead! You're not supposed to be here! You're supposed to be… I don't know, wherever it is people go when they die!"

Ash actually did look a bit stung at this. _Does she really not want me here? _He thought. "I'm sorry, Misty. I wanted to show you sooner, but… I couldn't! I just learned how today!"

"Just learned what today? What is that supposed to mean?" Misty was freaking out, and so she was falling back on her old failsafe: anger. She really _was_ happy to see him, somewhere in her heart, but the only way she could deal with this kind of emotional stress without losing it was to get furious. Especially tonight, since her emotions were already raw from her talk with Brian.

"Please, Misty. Just let me explain. I promise it will all make sense if you do." Ash pleaded, starting to genuinely worry. This was not the way he had wanted this to go, alienating her from the very start.

Misty sighed, and tried to calm down. _I really should be happy, _she thought_. After all, how many times have I wished for this very thing before tonight? Too many to waste this, that's for sure. _"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "Start explaining."

"Okay!" Ash jumped into the air, then floated there for a second, forgetting for a moment that he didn't just fall anymore. "Oh, yeah." He floated back down to the ground. "Okay, Misty, you might want to sit down, because this story's going to blow your face off! Seriously, if you have a heart condition, you may want to stand clear, because—"

"JUST GET ON WITH IT!" Misty yelled.

"Alright, alright! Gees, you'd think my best friend would be happy to see me!" Ash huffed. Then he cleared his throat dramatically, and began his tale.

* * *

A/N:(Sorry to break in here, but this section warrants some clarification. This part, until the obvious ending point, is told from Ash's first person point of view; that is, he will be the observer and the narrator for this part. There are a few exceptions. Type that looks (_like this_), with the parenthesis and the italic font, is Misty breaking into Ash's monologue from the… overstory. Yes, I like that word. Overstory. So, that's all the notice I think this needs, so without further ado,—(_Damn it, James! Just get back to the story already!_) Well, that was rather rude of you, Misty, but thanks anyway for showing the reader what it looks like when you speak. Okay then, so Misty doesn't kill me, let's get on with the show!)

* * *

**Ash's Story**

The first thing I remember is remembering. (_What the hell does that even mean?_) Well, if you'll shut up for five minutes, Misty, I'll tell you! Ah, for the love of Ho-oh! Anyway:

The first thing I remember is remembering. I remembered getting hit by Mewtwo and Mew, and then I remembered seeing you and Brock and Pikachu, right before I died. I didn't know I was dead yet, I just reached the end of that memory over and over. I realized after a while of thinking about those last few moments that I still had to exist, somehow, because otherwise I wouldn't be thinking about anything. Then I felt a… pull, or a pressure, or something like that, at the back of my mind, but I ignored it, because I was focusing on getting back to you guys. So I held on to the only thing I could grasp: the memories.

After a while, I noticed the world fading into view around me. First, I just saw light, and then it all got clearer, and clearer, until I could recognize it. I could see the sky, I could hear the ocean, and I could smell the ground and the grass, but I couldn't feel anything. After a while, I got bored of waiting for feeling to come back, and I tried to move.

I moved my head around first, to see if it worked. I couldn't feel it, but I knew I had moved, because I went from just seeing the sky, to seeing the ground right beside me. Then I raised my head up to look at myself. For a moment, I couldn't see my body, but then I realized that was because I was seeing _through _it. I remembered seeing something like this before, a long time back. It was when we were in Lavender Town, and Pikachu and I got knocked out of our bodies by that chandelier. (_Wait, you were ghosts? Wait, if you were… It was __**you! **__That's why I heard your voice outside, and… you dropped me! Ash Ketchum, you little monster!_) Heh heh, yeah… After I woke up, I figured you'd kill me if I told you that was me, so I kind of… didn't. But you can't kill me now, can you! Ha!

So, anyway, it took me a moment to realize that I was a spirit again. Then I figured it out, so I flew up and started looking around. I figured if I could find my body again, I could just jump back in, and everything would be normal again.

I was still on the island, but it took me a minute to figure that out, because it all looked different. All the buildings were gone, and without the storms, it was really hard to recognize the water. So I flew up really high, so I could see the shape of the island, and I could barely recognize where we came out of the sea from. So I looked over the water, and waaaaay off on the horizon, I saw the mainland. I flew over to it, since I figured if my body wasn't on the island, you guys would have it with you. (_Wait,_ _why would we have it?_) Well, would you have just left my body there to rot? (_…I guess not._) Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

So I got to the coast we left from, and then I started searching for you guys. I tried to think of what you would do if I died, and the only thing I could think of was that you would go tell my mom about it. (_Well, that was pretty smart. Wait, Ash! Does your mom know about this?_) No, not yet, but I'm gonna tell her. I'll get to why I came here first in a while. (_How long is this going to take, anyway?_) Well, we've got six years of my afterlife to catch up on, it's gonna take a while! But it won't take as long if you'll just let me _tell the story!_ Okay? Good.

Since I thought that Pallet was my best chance to find you guys, I started that way. I still don't know how long I was out after I got hit, but it must have been a couple days, because you and Brock had gone a long way down the path already. It took me a day and a half to find you, and that was travelling straight down the roads that I thought we would have taken if I had been there. Okay, _maybe _I tried to take a short-cut, and I _might _have got lost for a few hours before I found my way back. But still, mostly it was travelling. Plus, since I didn't have to stop to sleep or eat, I was on the move all the time. I finally reached you guys one night, probably three or four days after you left. So, of course, the next thing I tried to do was tell you I was there.

And… I guess not telling you what happened in Lavender Town backfired, really. If I had told you, maybe I could have contacted you, and you would have known what I was then, instead of now. But… I tried yelling to you, but you never seemed to hear. You couldn't see me, obviously. I tried to grab your arms, but my hands just passed straight through them. It was like I wasn't there at all. (_What are you talking about? I can see you, you were holding Pikachu a second ago, I can hear you now… what's changed? And even in Lavender Town, I couldn't see you, but I could hear you, and you picked me up… I don't understand!_) Well, there, Misty, I don't get what happened either. I've thought a lot about it since then, and what I think the difference is between that time and this one is that I wasn't really dead, back then. Haunter pulled out my spirit, but my body was still alive. It was just knocked out, or something. And then it stayed that way while my spirit was gone, because how would my body wake up without it? It wouldn't! But really, that's all just me guessing about it. I really don't know why you couldn't hear me, or why I couldn't touch you. Maybe if I asked Gengar, he would know… but as for why you can see and hear me now, I'm getting to that.

So after a while, I stopped trying to contact you. Then I noticed that you didn't have my body. I was afraid, first, that you'd buried it already, because how would I get to it then? But then I figured that that was stupid, you wouldn't just bury me somewhere. I thought you might have given it to someone, the police or something like that, but since I didn't know who it was, the only thing I could think to do was to follow you until you saw it again, and hope that it didn't die on its own in the meantime.

That week was hell.

I stayed with you guys, all the time, but it _hurt_. I was scared the whole time that my body would die, and I'd be stuck like this forever. And on top of that, I watched you, and you were all so sad. It broke my heart every time I looked at you, or Brock, or Pikachu. And I knew it was me you were all so sad about, but even though I was right there, I couldn't do anything but watch. And then, every night, I had hours of time, and nothing to do but think about what had happened. I must have cried a hundred times that week, watching you all, and sitting alone.

And then, finally, you got to Pallet Town. I heard you tell my mother that I had died, and I waited all along for you to tell her where my body was, so I could go get it, but you never did. And I had to watch my mother, my own mother, grieve over my death, even though I knew I was still alive… at least, I thought I was. Then Brock called the Professor, and told him exactly what had happened to my body.

That was the moment I knew that I wasn't just a wandering spirit, looking for a body. I was just… dead. I couldn't believe it. I ran. I flew away from my mother, my Pokemon, and all my friends, because I couldn't take it then, because at last I knew they were right to grieve. I was gone, and I couldn't come back.

I sat and cried alone for a while, but eventually I returned. I wanted to see the rest of you, even if I couldn't be with you. And I held on for a few days. I stayed for the funeral. I even got to hear my own eulogy. Not many people who can say that, are there? Then I followed you out of town, Misty. I wanted to stay with Pikachu, as long as I could. We passed the place, then, where I first met you, on the river. I drifted off to look at it. And Pikachu followed.

I guess he could tell that I was there, even if he didn't completely know. But he knew when I left. So he followed me, and you followed him. You recognized the place, just like I did. And I heard you tell me good bye. I felt something break, then, deep in my soul, and I yelled with all my heart and mind "No, don't say that! It's never really goodbye, Misty, not if you still remember!"

And you heard. Somehow, I reached you. I called your name again, and I followed you all the way to Viridian City, calling behind you, but you wouldn't answer… And that was too much for me. To have been that close to breaking through to you, and to lose it right there… I couldn't keep following you after that. So I ran off alone.

I spent years after that, wandering the world. I've been everywhere, really. Not much else to do, when you're alone like that, but travel and think. I went to Johto and Hoenn, I travelled through the Orange Islands and across the sea to Sinnoh, and then I visited Almia for a while—did you know, Misty, that they don't have any Pokemon trainers at all, in Almia? I never did—I saw the whole world… It's a beautiful world, Misty. But… I couldn't enjoy it. In the end, I got tired of everything. I really just wanted it all to end, somehow. Being alone, for so long… I could just barely make it. I'm really surprised I didn't just lose it, then. But I held on, somehow. Maybe you can't lose your mind, if your mind is all you have.

And so I came back. I drifted through Kanto, visiting all the places I hadn't seen in so long. I saw my mother, for the first time in over four years… I don't think she ever got over losing me, really. She just… I saw my mother still lived somewhere in that person, but… she wasn't the same, anymore. Heartbroken, I guess. No real will to live. I didn't stay for long.

I travelled up through Viridian… stopped by that old waterfall again… and then on to Pewter. I saw Brock, back at the gym. I actually had seen him a few times in my own travels. I'm glad he kept going for so long, but he looked like he was doing well at the gym. Lonely, maybe, but well. I didn't stay long there, either. I wandered through Mount Moon, and then I was back here again. And… Misty, I was so proud of you when I saw you battle. You've really gotten great, you know that? But… you were alone, too. And somehow, I felt that it was my fault that you and Brock were both so alone. I stayed here longer than anywhere else, especially since I was so glad to see Pikachu again, but… eventually, I couldn't take being unseen around you anymore, and I left again.

I wandered through Kanto… I was just bored, really, at that point. I thought I'd seen everything the world had to offer. But I was wrong.

I was taking the old way we took through Kanto, back when I was collecting badges, when I came to Lavender Town. I thought I'd just stop by the old tower, just to see it… and they saw me.

Haunter isn't there anymore, he's still with Sabrina in Saffron, but Gengar and Gastly are still hanging around. And as I walked into the building, they came down, and they started dancing around with me. I was… happy, for the first time in months, just to find _someone_ who could actually see me, even if they were Pokemon. So I stayed with them for a long time. At first, I just played around with them, like they had wanted me to way back when. Then, one day, a trainer came by, and they scared him off. I noticed that they could _control _whether or not he saw them and heard them and all that. And after a while, I realized the possibilities.

So I asked Gengar later that day if he could show me how they did that. Of course, he couldn't. As another ghost, I could always see him, so he couldn't really demonstrate. So we talked about it. It was really hard, trying to understand him, since he couldn't speak human language. But we struggled through that, and eventually I understood. It's about strength of mind, sort of impressing _who _you are on_ where_ you are so strongly that you make yourself… I don't know, denser, or something. More… there than normal. Enough to be seen, at least. It's kind of hard to explain without experiencing it. And so, I started training.

I spent over a year mastering it. Being able to touch things came easy; it only took a few weeks to get the hang of. Sound was harder, but after a couple of months, I could speak and be heard by everyone. But being able to be seen… that took me over a year. It was really difficult to do. It was all mental, and… well, you know me: I was resilient when I was alive, but mental strength was never one of my strong points. But I kept at it, over and over I tried… and today, I finally got it. I could feel myself get… stronger, somehow, and I knew. So I found a travelling trainer in the woods, and I turned visible, grabbed him, and yelled at him. (_Ash! How thoughtless can you possibly be! You probably scared that poor guy half to death!_) Well, sorry, Misty, but I had to test it somehow, and the ghosts couldn't help! It had to be a normal, living person! And I couldn't apologize, because he ran off screaming. But that told me that he could see me, since he definitely ran away from me. So, since I finally knew I could show you all I was still here, I set out as fast as I could for the closest place that you, Brock, or my mom lived: right here with you in Cerulean Gym. I got here about five minutes before you walked in, and waited for you here.

**End of Ash's Story**

"And so, here I am," Ash finished. "Visible, audible, and… uh, what's the word for when you can touch something? I don't think it's just 'touchable.' Aw, you get the point."

Misty sat mute, taking it all in. It all fit perfectly together in her mind, and she had no doubts that what he had told her was true. So there was really only one thing to do now.

She rose up off her bed and walked towards Ash. He started backing away in instinctive fear of her usual anger. "Now, Misty, don't do anything you might regret later…"

Then she surprised him by grabbing his ghostly arms and pulling him into a fierce hug.

After all, she had spent hundreds of hours grieving over this boy, wept countless tears for him, wasted years just wishing he would return.

And now he had.

Misty laughed and cried as she held him as close as she could, and she whispered, more to herself than to Ash, "You're back… You're finally, finally back."

Ash's surprise at Misty's hug quickly turned to joy. He smiled warmly and replied, "It's good to be back, Misty."

* * *

**NOTES!**

Well, that was rather quick, wasn't it? Dead one chapter, and… well, not alive, but at least there, the next. Well, considering that the main rule of the anime is "Ash doesn't die. If he's dead, he's just pretending. Wait a while, he'll come back," it's not really that amazing that he's still there. And, also, I wouldn't be surprised if this chapter surprises absolutely no one in any way. I mean, the story category is Romance/Supernatural, I basically gave this away in the summary, too, and I already SAID it was an AAMRN. So, if you think that he came back quickly, that's because him coming back is not anywhere _near_ the climax of the story. It's just a point in the plot like any other. An important one, to be sure, but not the most important.

Ah, this chapter held a whole bunch of firsts for me, so I won't be surprised if my reviews tend to be a bit more… negative, than they were last time. This chapter had my first anime-style Pokemon battle that I choreographed, my first first-person POV, my first original character debuts, and my first comical scenes (that last chapter wasn't funny at _all_!… Ah, it was fun to write, though.)

I'm a bit worried about my OCs, particularly Brian. A lot of this chapter was focused on him, because there's a recurring subplot throughout this story that is focused on him, and it begins, and is mostly set up, in this chapter. I tried hard to make sure it was obvious that he was an excellent trainer, but I also didn't want a… what do you call a male Mary Sue?... Gary Stu? Whatever, you get the idea. I feel like I gave him some pretty deep character flaws, but… tell me how you think I did with him, and with all my OCs!

Anyway, this is the chapter he gets the most attention in, although he isn't going to disappear, obviously. But he won't ever be as important in another chapter as he was in this one. I *may* write a spin-off starring him, but that will depend on exactly how this story ends. Hell, he _dies_ in one of my endings… yeah, I've talked about him long enough.

I realize that Natty, Joey (did anybody get the reference in his name, by the way?), and Stephanie all didn't get as much development, but their times will come. If you care, for some reason, then there you go.

I'm not sure about the reunion scene, but I tried to imagine how Misty, fiery, hot-tempered Misty, would react if Ash came back, cracking jokes and acting like it was just a normal day. I figured she'd flip out first, and ask questions later.

Oh, and I didn't put the disclaimer at the top, because I wanted to open the chapter exactly the way I opened it, without any preceding crap.

So, here it is: I do not own Pokemon, nor do I own Ash, Misty, or any of the Pokemon and other characters. I do own Brian, Natalia, Joey, and Stephanie, though. (Well, Natty's complicated.)

Now, I realize I put this chapter out four days after the first one. DO NOT GET USED TO THIS. I will almost definitely NOT update this fast ever again. I said every couple of weeks, and I meant it. I had this chapter more than halfway done when I posted the first chapter, so it's a little early. I'm not saying I'll ever hold back a chapter just to get to the deadline I set; when I finish them, they go up. But I AM saying that this was a fluke, so don't expect a new chapter Monday or Tuesday. I am hopeful for next Friday, but even that's going to be tough. I can't work on this on the weekends, you see.

One last note: today, October 30, 2009, is my nineteenth birthday! Yay! Can anyone guess what I would like for my birthday?

_Reviews._

So please, even if it's just to tell me that you liked it, loved it, hated it, whatever! I just want to know what you thought. I got several ten word reviews last chapter, and each and every one made my day.

Whew, that was a lot of notes!

Once again, this is James, probably not as well known as FTEcho 4, signing off! Thank you very much for reading, and I'll be back with more story soon!


	3. Rebuilding Broken Hearts and Bonds

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Three: Rebuilding Shattered Bonds and Broken Hearts_

Misty sat quiet next to Ash. Well, not all of Ash, but his spirit, at least, and that was the part that mattered. She had been talking to him for the past two hours, and she was starting to feel very tired. They had talked about the old times, about Brock's travels, about how Misty had been and how the gym was doing with her in command, and they had finally run out of things to talk about. She had ended up with her arm around his shoulders, sitting together on her bed while Ash idly scratched Pikachu's head on his lap.

"Where will you go next, Ash?" Misty questioned, breaking the silence that had been building between them.

"Well, I figured I would go to Pewter tomorrow morning and show Brock that I'm still here, at least. And then I'm going to see my mother. I don't know how she'll take it, though. She seemed kind of… fragile, the last time I saw her. I'm worried about how she'll react to me now."

Misty hugged him closer. "I imagine she'll be happy that you've come home at last, just like I was."

Ash scoffed. "Just like you were? Well, that's promising. I thought you were going to attack me! '_You're dead! You're not supposed to be here!' _Remember that? I'm glad you weren't any happier to see me; I was totally_ smothered _with love as it was!"

"Hey, I was in shock! I needed time to take it in! And I was nice enough after you gave me a minute to relax!" Misty retorted.

Ash's pale blue cheeks darkened a bit, remembering Misty's embrace. "Yeah… you were…"

"And I'm sure your mom will be just as happy to see you as I was _then,_" Misty finished.

"I hope so." Ash said, still sounding a bit worried. They sat in silence for a few minutes more, before Misty broke it once again.

"Ash… I don't want to end this, but I have to get to sleep…. The gym still needs work tomorrow, and I'm going to be tired enough as it is. So…" Misty trailed off.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I keep forgetting about sleep, since I don't need it anymore." Ash gently placed the sleeping Pikachu in his lap in his normal spot at the foot of Misty's bed, and stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow morning to tell you goodbye before I leave. It won't take me long to get to Pewter from here."

"But what will you do tonight, Ash?" Misty asked.

"The same thing I do every night, Misty." Ash rose from the floor to hover in the air above her. "I'll explore the world around me, and I'll think of you, and Brock, and Mom… but somehow… I think I'll enjoy it more tonight than usual." Ash flashed her that old, familiar smile, then flew out of her bedroom window into the night.

"Good night, Ash!" She called after him.

Faintly, she heard him reply, "Good night, Misty!"

Misty lay down in her bed, and she was asleep a few minutes later. She slept very soundly, and a small smile lingered on her lips all night.

* * *

"Umm… Misty. Misty. Uh… There's some weird guy here cleaning the gym… Is that normal?"

Misty opened her eyes to find Ash's translucent face six inches from her own.

"AHH!" Misty yelped, jumping out her bed and knocking him into the air. Pikachu also flew into the air, sparks flying from his cheeks already. Angered at being woke up so rudely, he tried to shock Misty and Ash. Tried, because Ash was totally untouched, while Misty was charred. Pikachu looked satisfied with that result, though, as he jumped back onto Misty's bed and tried to go back to sleep.

"Misty! Are you alright?" Brian (for of course it was he) yelled from the main battle pool. Misty heard something clatter to the ground as he started running to her aid.

"Brian, I'm fine! I just… woke up from a nightmare. Everything's fine in here. Just don't come in!" Misty called through her closed bedroom door.

"Um… okay… you do realize that it's ten o'clock, right?" Brian said, now standing outside her door.

"WHAT?" She glanced at her clock, which only confirmed his statement. "What the hell, Brian? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried! I was pounding on your door for, like, twenty minutes! And I'm sure as hell not gonna come in your room uninvited while you're asleep. So I just gave up and started working myself, so at least one of us would be. What, did you throw a party last night? In over a year now, I've never, ever seen you oversleep before... Is something wrong?" He really sounded worried saying the last few words.

Misty didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth. _Well, Brian, remember Ash? Well, last night, his ghost came back out of nowhere, and we talked for hours on end! Oh, and he's in here now. Wanna meet him? _Even if he didn't just think she had lost it, she didn't want him to some reason, she wanted Ash kept secret, for now at least. So…

"What, am I not allowed to oversleep once in a while? I'm sorry, since when were _you _in charge? I believe I'm still the gym leader around here, and I'll sleep as long as I damn well please! So shove off!"

He was silent for a moment, before quietly responding, "Fine, Misty. Sorry for trying to care." He walked back to his work.

Misty turned to Ash. "What are you doing! You don't just show up in my room, ever! _Ever!_"

"Well, I was coming to tell you goodbye, and there was some guy in there! I just wanted to warn you!"

"And you never thought that he might _work _here? He's my assistant, you stupid kid!"

"Oh." Ash paused. "Since when did you get an assistant?"

"Since my sisters left. Don't you have something you're supposed to be doing?"

"Oh, right!" He flew over and gave her a quick hug. "Bye, Misty. I'm glad you didn't try to kill me again last night." He stopped by Pikachu, and rubbed his head quickly. He barely lifted his head, still miffed at being woken up. "Bye, Pikachu. I'll be back soon. Now…" Ash struck a grand pose. "To Pewter City!" He turned a loop in her room before rushing out the window once more, arms spread wide like a bird. _Showoff, _Misty thought. Then she remembered again what time it was. "Crap! The inspection! There's still so much stuff to be done!" She got ready for the day as fast as she could, before running off to join her assistant in his work.

* * *

Ash flew through the trees for a minute then rose high above the forest surrounding Mount Moon. At this height, he could already see Pewter City, miles away. Once he caught sight of it, he put on as much speed as he dared, which is to say, he flew, very, very, very fast. It took him only a little less than twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of town, where Pewter Gym lay.

* * *

Brock was bored.

He always seemed to be bored, these days. His gym, being made mostly of rock, was pretty low-maintenance, so there wasn't much to do with it unless there was a challenger. Since all of his brothers and sisters had grown up and either moved out or gone on their own Pokemon journeys, he lived alone (finally). When he had returned and declared his intentions to reclaim the title of gym leader, he had utterly destroyed his father in a battle, and so his father had conceded the title and moved back to his shack, happy to be free again. Flint stopped by sometimes, but those visits were pretty rare, coming at most monthly. Brock was twenty-one now, after all; he wasn't a kid anymore, and Flint respected that. And, of course, there was training his Pokemon that had to be done, but that never took more than two or three hours a day, and that might have been a bit much as it was. Pokemon got tired, too.

But, before and after all that, Brock was left with a lot of free time on his hands. He wished that he could leave to visit his friend Misty more often, but even though he had a lot of time to kill, he still needed to be at the gym in case a challenger came along. And they did come along. Almost every day, at least one trainer challenged Brock for the Boulder Badge.

_I really need a hobby, _Brock thought as he sat alone in his normal spot in the main battle arena. _Maybe… knitting? Nah, too girly. I'm already a cook and a maid half the time; How am I supposed to win a woman's heart with knitting? I could collect something, but I don't have the time. I could write, I suppose… Yeah, that's deep. Chicks love writers, don't they? I think so. Hmm… maybe I should ask Misty. She's a girl. Although she doesn't act like it, so much. Do I know any other girls? No, not really. Hey, is that a challenger? _Brock saw the doors to the gym open, but there didn't seem to be anything there. _I guess not. Huh. Weird. What was I thinking? Oh, girls I know... Nope, none but Misty. Yeah, I really need to get out more. Well, I guess Misty will have to do._

_Is Ash floating in front of me? _Brock blinked, and rubbed his eyes. The ghostly image of Ash obstinately hovered there. _Hmm. He's still there. Well, that's new. Well, I guess the boredom must have driven me insane. At least it's something to do._

"Hey, Brock! Didja miss me?" Ash said.

_Oh, good, the specter speaks. This would have gotten dull otherwise. Wait…_

Brock's mind finally made the connection between past and present, found some rather disturbing discrepancies, and decided to shut down for a while and mull this over. In the meantime, the rest of Brock freaked out.

"AHHH!" Brock jumped up and away from Ash. "AAAH! ASH! GHOST! DEAD! AAAH!"

"Well, actually, that's a pretty good three-word summary of what's happened," Ash replied, laughing. Then he was hit in the face with a rock. "Hey! Cut that out!" Brock had retreated behind one of the many boulders that littered his battlefield, and was now throwing rather large rocks over it at Ash for some reason. Not that it actually hurt him, but it was still annoying. "Seriously, how does throwing rocks at me help?"

"AHH!" Brock responded.

"Well, this could have gone better," Ash mused.

"AHH!" Brock agreed.

"Okay, Brock. Since you're obviously not going to listen to me right now, I'm just going to follow you around until you calm down. Then I'm going to tell you my long, long story. And you're going to listen to it. Got it?"

"AHH!"

* * *

"… And so, here I am, visible, audible, and _tangible_," Ash finished (again).

"Well, Ash, that's… quite the story. So… good to have you back!" Brock was grinning ear to ear at seeing his old friend for the first time in six years.

Brock had stopped panicking after about twenty minutes of Ash just sitting around watching him (silently taking rocks to the face), and had decided to try actually _talking_ to Ash, much to his relief. So, Ash had once again told his story of what he'd been doing for the past six years, Brock listening quietly.

"Well, enough about me, Brock, what about you? How have you been holding up the past few years?" Ash asked.

"Well… Travelling was great. I met a lot of new people, and seeing the world was amazing. But it was never as fun as the times I had with you and Misty. I got tired of travelling, and came home. But… it wasn't what I expected here. When I got back, I expected all the kids to be here, waiting for me, I guess… You know, Ash, it was hard to take care of them, but it never got dull. And I loved having them depend on me, sometimes. It made me feel useful. I wasn't looking forward to doing it again, but I wasn't really dreading it, either. And then… I got here, and it was just my dad and the twins. Everyone else was gone on their own journeys. Then I claimed the leadership from my dad, and just a few weeks later, the twins were ten, and ready to start training themselves. What are the odds, really? Ten kids from the same family, and they all grew up to be trainers. I guess living in a gym will do that to you. So, without—"

"Wait!" Ash interrupted. "I thought you didn't want to be a gym leader. You said you wanted to be a breeder. So… what happened with that?"

"Well, I still have a dream of opening a breeding center here in Pewter, but… I guess I just needed something to _do._ I don't like to sit around. Actually, though… that's a lot of what I do, now. Without the kids running around like they always used to, it's pretty boring around here. The gym pretty well takes care of itself, so all I really have to do is train, battle, and eat. I really need a hobby, or something," Brock finished.

"Well… why don't you try starting a breeding center as part of the gym? That would keep you busy enough."

Brock shook his head. "No. Believe it or not, I don't have the time. I may not have much to do, but I still have to be ready for any challengers who come by."

Ash stared. "That's stupid, even by my standards! A trainer could wait for thirty minutes while you finished what you were doing, couldn't they? There's no reason not to follow your dreams, Brock, unless you're _afraid _to! Think of yourself for once, and do what YOU want!"

Brock sat, kind of stunned by this. Was that it, then? _Am I really the only thing holding me back? What he says sounds true. But…_ "What about money? Running a breeding center isn't cheap, you know."

Ash snorted. "Come on, Brock. How much money do you have, anyway? Misty told me the League pays pretty well. She'd be rich, if her gym wasn't so costly to run, and she's pretty well off as it is. And it doesn't sound like your gym takes that much. Do you even know how much you have?"

Brock didn't. He hadn't checked in a while. He knew he made more than he spent, but he never really had a reason to check, so he didn't. He had an account, and the League directly deposited his salary in every month. He wasn't even completely sure how much money he made. It had never been a problem.

"No…" Brock muttered.

"Well then, how do you know you don't have enough to start a center?" Ash exclaimed.

"I guess I don't."

"Well, then there you go. First thing, do you really want to do this?" Ash asked.

"Yes, of course…" Brock said. _But it can't be this simple, can it?_

"Then, second, you need to find out if you _can _do this. How can you check?"

"By looking at my money!" Brock yelled, getting excited. _Maybe it can!_

"Then what are you waiting for? GO!" Ash cheered.

"YEAH!" Brock ran out of the gym, leaving Ash in his dust.

Ash floated, stunned for a moment, before calling after him, "Hey, wait up!" and chasing after him.

Brock sprinted through his living quarters to his computer, and opened up the League's page. He had his account with them, like most leaders and trainers did. He typed his barely remembered passwords in quickly, and opened his accounts.

* * *

"Buhh. Wuhh. Huhwuh…" Brock was mumbling in shock when Ash found him.

"Oh, Brock… was it not enough? Crap, Brock, I didn't mean to get your hopes up, and… wuh. Buh. Muh." Ash caught sight of the numbers, as he spoke, and nearly fell out of the air. It was enough. Mew, was it enough. When Misty had said leaders were paid well, she had apparently made an understatement. Ash wondered just how expensive her gym was, anyway? Brock, with his frugal ways, was sitting on a small fortune after just two years! Ash finally regained his tongue.

"So… I'm thinking you can probably do it. Now what?"

"I… uh… I don't know. There's so much to do! I think… I'll need facilities the gym doesn't have, so those will have to be built… probably a helper or two, I doubt I can do it all on my own… eventually I'll need to advertise, so people will bring their Pokemon… And I'll need some other Pokemon to start with, so… Ahh! Ash, how am I going to do all this?" Brock cried.

Ash grinned at him. "Well, at least you won't be bored anymore."

Brock stared at him. "Yeah… thanks, Ash. I guess I just needed someone to tell me to get up and go. Since when did you get so smart, anyway?"

"Well, when you're by yourself for a long time, all you can really do is think. I've just had a lot of time to myself."

"Good to know something good came out of it," Brock said with a smirk. "You were pretty dense before you died."

"I'm still dense, actually, I'm just a bit smarter now… but I would rather have just been stupid forever with you guys than have gone through that to get here." Ash said seriously.

"Yeah…" Brock said. He was a bit preoccupied with all the possibilities before him now, and Ash saw his attention wavering. He thought now was a good time to leave now.

"Well, Brock, I've got to get to Pallet Town. It'll probably take me an hour or so to get there, so…"

"Wait, an hour? How fast do you fly?" Brock said, stupefied by that kind of speed. There were some Pokemon that traveled that fast, like the Dragonite that had brought them the invitation to New Island, but even by car, it would take at least a couple of hours to drive that distance.

"I don't know. I don't think there's a limit; really, I just travel as fast as I think is safe. I've never gone faster than… I don't really know, but I can tell that it's fast. It's not like I've ever timed myself. I just make sure I can still recognize things on the ground," Ash explained.

"Well, it's still getting on in the day. And you've given me a lot to think about, so… Go! Your mother's waiting for you!" Brock said. As he spoke, he was shooing Ash out of his room, through the arena and out of the gym.

"Yeah, she is! Bye, Brock! I'll be back soon!" Ash said, as he turned in the air and flew away, leaving so quickly that Brock lost sight of him almost instantly.

Brock walked quickly back inside, thinking of all that he would have to do in the next few days to get his dream started on the road from fantasy to reality. Before he started any of that, though, there was something else he wanted to do. He walked over to his videophone, and called a familiar number. It rang twice before a teenage boy answered. "Cerulean Gym, Brian Edwards speaking… oh. Hi, Brock. You'll want to talk to Misty, I assume?"

"Yeah, Brian. Could you get her?"

"Of course." He stepped away from the phone, yelling "Misty! Brock's on the phone for you!"

Faintly, Brock heard her call back "Okay! I'm coming!"

Even more faintly, Brock heard Brian mutter away from the phone "You're welcome, Misty," before turning back to ask aloud "So, are you coming over anytime soon?"

"Well, I don't know, it depends. I might be. Something's come up, but I just need to talk to Misty right now."

Misty, with Pikachu sitting on her shoulder, barged in, pushing Brian away from the screen, and opened her mouth to speak. Then, she seemed to think better of it, because she turned to Brian and said, "Brian, go to the pools behind the gym and… check on Seadra and Dewgong."

Brian started to protest that he had just done that, but then seemed to get the point, and answered curtly "Yes, ma'am," before turning and walking briskly off.

When he was gone, Brock asked "What's his problem?"

Misty replied, "Oh, I yelled at him this morning because I was trying to cover for Ash, and he's been like that ever since, I don't… Oh! Ash! Brock, you must have seen him! Isn't it great? He's back again! Oh… I've been dancing around all day. It's just… a miracle!"

"Yeah, he's been here. He just left, as a matter of fact. He's going to see his mom."

"He told me that last night. He's really worried about it, but I doubt anything bad is going to happen."

Brock thought of that for a moment, and an awful thought came into his head. "Misty… when's the last time we _talked_ to Mrs. Ketchum?"

* * *

Ash flew past Viridian City, approaching his final destination, his childhood home of Pallet Town. _Ha, childhood home… I wonder if I'm still a child? I haven't aged any, but I'm sixteen in my head... Ah, I've got to stop thinking about that kind of thing. There aren't any answers to my problems in this world. Just more questions._

He flew over the forest, and spotted a flash of yellow, a rare family of Pikachu, through the trees. He thought of his Pikachu. _No, not _my_ Pikachu anymore. Misty is his trainer now... I'm glad she took him. I know he'd rather be with her than stuck on Oak's ranch forever. Ah, but I wish I had got more time with him. At least I can still see him now… and he can see me. Even if I can't come back completely, at least I can be halfway here. That's better than the alternative… I wonder why I'm still here, anyway? Misty was right, last night, the dead aren't supposed to stay here… I know there aren't many other spirits, or I'd have seen some when I travelled. I don't have any good reason to stay… so why am I here? Ah! I've got to stop thinking philoso… plato… crap, what's the word? Oh, well. I guess I'm not _that _smart. Okay, Ash, focus. You've got a job to do._

Ash cleared his mind and prepared himself to see his mother as he spotted Pallet in the distance.

He was soon over the town itself, seeing people and places he hadn't seen in years pass him by. No matter how long he spent away from it, this place always felt like home to him. He basked in his memories for a moment, taking it all in, making sure every bit was impressed into his mind. One thing he was sure of was that he never wanted to forget his home, no matter how long he existed.

Ash soon made his way to his own house, on the outskirts of the town.

He noticed, like he did when he was last here, that it wasn't the same as when he had lived here. From the outside, it had a look of emptiness. It was clean, the grass was cut, it was all well kept. But the little homey touches his mother had added to it, like flowers in the windows, or her garden, were all gone. Ash expected that the house was now mostly being kept up by Mr. Mime, rather than his mother. He knew why. Delia had never gotten over losing him. She still grieved for Ash, and it was hard to live a normal life through that kind of sadness. Ash had hated to see her that way, the last time he was here. But he was sure that his old mom was still in there, just waiting to be brought out. And that was something Ash intended to fix, right now.

He floated through the front door, into the house. He decided that now was a good time not to freak out his mother, and so he let go of his visibility, for once not wanting to be seen. He searched the house. He found Mr. Mime in the kitchen, cleaning up as usual. He went upstairs, and checked each room. His own room was exactly as he had left it… His mother had obviously not had the will to clean it out, or perhaps she just wanted to keep some piece of him close to her. He moved on to her bedroom. There he found her.

She was lying in bed, reading a book. She looked terrible. Her hair was unkempt and messy. Her eyes looked dull and empty. Her clothes looked thrown together carelessly. That basically described everything about her now: careless. She just looked like she didn't care about anything anymore, and it was probably true.

Ash thought for a moment how best to reveal himself. He wanted to do it gradually, but that was a problem. He didn't have a bunch of ways to appear. In the end, he was just going to have to become visible to her, whether he walked around a corner or simply appeared. But he did have one trick he could pull. He focused on his voice, wanting to be heard first. Soon he felt the change in himself that he had finally come to recognize as his voice becoming audible. He spoke softly.

"Mom?"

Delia's head snapped up so quickly that he heard her neck crack. "What? Who's there?" She called out, seeing nothing. She knew that voice, she heard it almost every night in her dreams, but… it couldn't be…

"Mom… it's me. It's Ash. I'm here… Don't be afraid. I'm going to appear now. Please… just stay calm." Ash's voice trembled. This was the moment he had waited years for. He turned his mind to making himself seen, and a moment later he felt it. He knew immediately that he had succeeded, because his mother gasped and jumped back, terrified.

"Mom! Mom, it's okay. I'm real, it's me, I'm here now. I'm back. Please don't be scared of me." Ash pleaded. Seeing his mother like this was making him lose his resolve. He didn't want her to fear him like this.

"No… no no no, it isn't real. Just… ignore it, it'll leave… it always leaves, it always does. Stay calm, Delia… He's gone. He's not coming back." Delia muttered to herself as she rocked back and forth on the bed, her legs curled up under her arms.

" B-But… I'm really here… Mom… please. I know I've been gone a long time, but… just listen to me, I can explain!" Ash's voice shook as he watched her. She was starting to weep while she rocked, and Ash was afraid for a moment to say anything, afraid of pushing her over the edge… what proof did he have that he was real, anyway? Nothing that couldn't be an illusion of the mind…

He spoke to his mother for a very long time. He tried to tell his tale like he had done twice before, but he couldn't keep his head together. He tried to tell her what it was like, how he had thought of her so much. He tried reminiscing about his childhood, hoping to get her attention. He tried everything he could think of. In the end, it didn't really matter what he said. His mother wouldn't listen to a word.

Shining points of light dropped from Ash's eyes. He was crying miserably as he flew away from his home, trying in vain to push it out of his mind as he left to find someone who would listen, someone who would care. He was barely able to see the ground under him through his blurred vision, but he knew where he was going. Deprived of his mother, there was only one other person he could go to for comfort now. He raced towards Cerulean City. She may have had a short temper, but Ash remembered from years past that he could always count on Misty to support him when he really, truly needed somebody to lean on. She would listen. She would care.

* * *

Misty was really feeling rotten. She had had a long talk with Brock, and they had each realized something. The last time either of them had spoken with Delia was over two years ago, and that had been Brock. Misty herself hadn't done so in almost four years. For all her assurance to Ash, she really had no clue how Mrs. Ketchum was. She could be dead or insane, for all they knew… Misty quickly pushed that thought away. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Ash didn't deserve to lose anything else. He had lost so much already.

Misty had just sent her assistant home. They had worked furiously all day, and at last Misty was satisfied with her gym. It had never looked so good. She glanced at each sparkling fixture, the clean walls, and the pristine pools as she walked through the gym. She just wished that she could enjoy them…

"Alright, everybody, lights out!" Misty called. She lowered the case that held the Pokeballs belonging to the Pokemon the gym owned and opened it. "Dewgong, Seaking, Seel, return!" She held up each ball one by one, and pulled in the gym's three Pokemon. Then she recalled her own Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, and Seadra. But where were Pikachu and Psyduck?

"Pikachu? Where are you?" She called. "Psyduck?" No answer. Fantastic.

"Seriously, you guys, it's time for bed! Come on!" She walked outside, where she found them. Pikachu was in one of the outside pools, showing Psyduck his swimming technique. Psyduck was watching, but he didn't really seem that interested.

"Okay, Pikachu, lesson's over. Time for bed."

"Pika…" Pikachu swam to the edge and jumped out of the water. He shook himself off, and ran over to Misty. She returned Psyduck to its ball, and together the two walked back towards the gym.

"So how long are you going to keep trying to teach him, Pikachu?" Misty asked.

Pikachu said "Pika pika chu!" determinedly. He was willing to try as long as it took.

"Well, I'd say you're in for a long haul." Misty said. "I mean, it took forever for—"

"_Misty!_" Out of the woods, Misty heard Ash crying for her. Misty stopped and whirled. That wasn't a cry of victory, or happiness. That was despair she heard racing out of the night. She ran towards the voice, hoping desperately that his mother was okay… she had to be okay…

She saw him. Immediately she saw that Ash had been crying all the way there. Misty was struck for a moment at how… _beautiful_ it was. Without any actual tears to shed, Ash's spirit was scattering tiny orbs of light from his eyes that lingered in the air for a few moments before vanishing. The sight was almost transfixing in its beauty. But the beauty of it didn't change the fact that something must have happened to make him cry like this. Misty had rarely seen Ash weep during the year of travelling with him. _Please don't let her be dead… she can't be dead…_ Misty prayed silently. "Ash, what's wrong?" She said as he approached her. Unable to see, he had misjudged his distance and crashed into the ground in front of her. The impact was so strong it left a small crater. "Ash!" She cried. But he pulled himself up, unharmed. Apparently it took a lot more than that to break a spirit. In a better mood, Ash would probably have been making a joke about it. But not now. Ash sat desolately on the ground and looked up at Misty.

"M-Misty… she… mom…" He couldn't say it, and Misty's heart froze as her mind jumped instantly to the worst conclusion. _I could have called, I could have visited, I could have done so much, and now… she's gone…_

"Oh, Ash…" She knelt in front of him. Pikachu jumped into his arms and nuzzled him. "What happened to her?"

"She… she won't… won't believe I'm real. She thinks… I'm in her head. I tried to prove I was real… but… there was nothing I could do. She just… sat there, and she cried. Maybe she's still there. I don't know, I don't know…" Ash sobbed out.

Misty was, of all things, relieved to hear this. If she wasn't dead, there was still a chance. "Ash. You can't give up. I know it hurts, but you have to keep trying."

"How?" He cried. "What can I do? Nothing that couldn't be a trick, that her mind couldn't create. And… I think she's seen me before. She said 'It always leaves.' I think she might be… gone. Insane. I don't know what to do anymore. How do I make her see?" He stopped, crying again.

Misty sat beside Ash and put an arm around him as she thought. What made her and Brock believe? There wasn't anything, really, except that… a companion. Misty had Pikachu; Brock had called her, and she had confirmed. They had someone to back them up, somebody with the same story. But Delia had been alone for so long... So, really, the only thing to do was…

Misty stood up as the answer came to her.

"Ash, I think I know what to do. I need to go to Pallet Town. If she won't believe in you, we'll have to give her something she knows she can believe in. I'll go, and I'll tell her you're real. That'll work." _I hope… _Misty added silently as she finished.

Ash looked at her. "But… how will you get there? You can't fly like me… I don't know if I could carry you that far, and I don't think it would be safe anyway."

Misty bit her lip. She hadn't thought of that. This was something she wanted done ASAP, because Ash was going to be suffering until it was fixed. She didn't have a car or any Pokemon who could fly that fast… An idea sprang up at that. "I think I can make it there by morning." She said. "Come with me."

"To where?" He asked, standing up.

"To get some help." Misty replied. She ran into the gym, and got her bike. She put Pikachu in the basket and they rode away, towards the town. Ash flew beside her, turning invisible in case they saw people. But his voice remained.

"So… where are we going?" He asked glumly out of the air.

"To someone who can help, I already told you. And please don't talk when I can't see you. It's weird, and people are looking! It looks like I'm talking to myself." Misty snapped.

They reached the other edge of town, and Misty pulled her bike into the empty driveway of a small house. She knew one person who definitely had a strong, fast flying Pokemon, and luckily for her, he would probably be willing to help. She walked up to the door, and turned to Ash, who had once again appeared

"Stay out of sight. He doesn't know about this; let's keep it that way." Misty said. Ash nodded, and began looking around for a hiding spot. He settled behind a tree, clearly visible. Misty slapped herself at the sheer stupidity. "Ash… you can turn invisible. Please do that."

"Oh… yeah, I forgot," He replied sheepishly. He complied. Misty sighed, and knocked on the door.

"What in the… who is knocking at this hour?" A young man was heard walking through the house. The door opened, and he stepped out. He stared at Misty incredulously. "Misty? I'm… what? Misty?" He glanced at his watch. "You realize it's ten o'clock again? The other one. The one where you don't visit people anymore because they're probably in bed, so they can go to the job you make them do tomorrow. So… you're here… why?"

"Brian, I need your help." Misty said quickly.

"Okay… how?" He asked uncertainly.

"I need to borrow Komodo." She replied.

"…And you need a Charizard at ten o'clock for what now?" He asked.

"I have to get to Pallet Town as soon as possible."

He stared again. "Okay… this has to be a joke. There is no way that… what?"

"Please, Brian! I'm serious!" Misty pleaded. She pulled out her trump card. "It has to do with Ash!" She expected this to shut him up, and so it did. He went from confused to concerned in an instant.

"Really?" He asked. She nodded. "Can I ask how?"

"I can't tell you that, Brian." She replied sadly. "Can you just trust me? Please?"

"I… yes. I can trust you… But I can't let you take Komodo." He said.

"What? But… why not?" She cried in return. It had been going so well…

"Because he's not fast enough. If I'm going to help you, Misty, I'm going to help the best I can. If you really need him, then..." He stopped and went back inside. He returned a few moments later with a Pokeball. "Slifer, come on out!" Misty was shocked to hear this, he couldn't trust her with…

The light faded to reveal Brian's Dragonite. It roared once, and then turned to face him.

"Slifer, I need your help. Or, rather, Misty needs your help. Can you take her to Pallet Town right now? I know it's a long way, but I know you can do it. Can I count on you?" Brian asked. Slifer roared his assent. Brian handed Misty Slifer's Pokeball. "Take good care of him, Misty."

"Brian… Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you. I know I've asked a lot already, but… can you watch Pikachu tonight?" Pikachu glared at Misty. "I'm sorry, buddy, but I don't want to risk you falling off in midair." He huffed.

Brian grinned. "Well, that's hardly a lot to ask. You know I couldn't refuse that." He opened his arms. "Come on, Pikachu. You know you love me." Pikachu walked stiffly over to him, and stood beside him.

Brian had one more concern. "Misty, what about the gym? What if you're not back by tomorrow? Should I turn challengers away until you get back?"

"No, I have a better idea. Brian, I officially declare you the temporary Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym, until such a time as I return."

"_W_-_What?_" He sputtered. "Me? But… the inspection might be tomorrow! And I've never been a gym leader before!"

"Brian, if the inspection comes tomorrow, tell them I went away for the day on extremely urgent business. The gym is ready, and you know enough to show them around if I'm not back. As for the battling, we both know you can do it. Oh, and do try to use Water Pokemon. You can use the gym's Pokemon if you want."

"Misty… I don't know what to say. I'm honored." He said solemnly.

"Good, you should be. Just remember, if you screw this up, I'll kill you. But no pressure." She climbed onto Slifer's back, and they flew off into the night.

"Sure, no pressure…" Brian said. He looked at Pikachu. "So… do **you** want to tell me what's happening?" Pikachu turned and marched inside as haughtily as he could manage. "I thought not." Brian sighed. Then he followed the yellow mouse in.

* * *

Ash followed Misty silently. Dragonite flew extremely quickly, faster than even Ash usually flew. But he could still keep up. He wasn't even sure if he had a top speed. He didn't seem to need energy to move. Not that _Ash_ thought that. He just didn't see a reason for him to have one. Anyway, he kept pace easily. He was staying out of sight, so Slifer wouldn't see him. He wanted to say something to Misty, but he wasn't sure how well Dragonite could hear. It might have been safe, but he didn't want to risk it.

Misty was just hoping that Ash was still with her, since she couldn't see him. There was still a lot of basic knowledge about the way he was she still didn't have. Did he have limits? He couldn't get physically tired, but could he tire mentally? Could Ash be hurt? What was he, exactly? Thoughts like these ran through her head for a while, keeping her occupied. She also thought about picking up Brock, but quickly decided against it. She didn't want to overtire Slifer, and that would just be adding extra distance and an extra person to the trip. So they flew directly to Pallet, as fast as Slifer could. It would have to be enough for Mrs. Ketchum to hear the truth from Misty.

They arrived in Pallet Town almost two hours later. Misty led Slifer to the Ketchum house, and he descended onto the front lawn.

"Thanks, Slifer. You're the best," Misty thanked the Dragon Pokemon. He roared in reply, and Misty recalled him. She didn't want him to see this; Slifer might keep Ash's secret from Brian if she asked, but then again, he might not. He needed to rest, anyway.

"Ash?" Misty questioned the air. _I hope he didn't fall behind…_

"I'm here, Misty." Ash appeared several feet away from her. She sighed in relief.

"Good. Now… We don't want to scare her, so… disappear again. You'll know when to come out. And stay quiet. I'll do the talking first."

"Aww, but I hate being ignored!" Ash whined.

"Ash…" Misty started angrily. He went pale (well, pal_er_), remembering exactly who he was dealing with. He did as she said.

Misty walked to the door, and only then did she realize exactly how much she had neglected Mrs. Ketchum. The last time she had actually been here was the day of Ash's funeral. Mrs. Ketchum had called a few times in the following years, but Misty had never made any attempt to reach back to her. At first, it had been too painful, but Misty really had no excuse for the rest of her negligence. Well, at any rate, that was over, starting now. Misty knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

Misty knocked harder, making sure anyone in the house could hear her. Finally, she heard Mrs. Ketchum's voice saying tiredly through the house, "I'm coming!" The door opened, revealing a very disheveled Delia.

"Misty? Is that… what on earth are you doing here? It's midnight! I'm glad to see you, it's been so long, but couldn't this wait for a more reasonable hour?"

Misty shook her head. "No, Mrs. Ketchum. I need to talk to you, and it needs to be now."

"Well… okay…" Mrs. Ketchum looked skeptical, but she let Misty in. Ash came after her, unseen. They walked to the couch, and Misty sat down. Mrs. Ketchum took a recliner across from her.

"What is it, Misty?" Delia started. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them.

Misty stopped for a moment before she began. "Mrs. Ketchum… first, I want to say how sorry I am. I never meant to leave you behind, honestly I didn't. It was painful, at first, to see you and remember Ash, but I should have thought about you. You needed support, and instead of providing it, I left you alone. I… I'm so sorry."

Delia smiled at the girl. "Thank you, Misty. It was hard for all of us. I could hardly blame you for looking after yourself first."

"Maybe you should have. You tried to be there for me, and I turned you away. I'm glad you feel that way, though. And I'll do better now. I promise."

"I hope you do, Misty." Delia said. "But was that all you came to say? It seems like a phone call would have been enough…"

"No, Mrs. Ketchum. That isn't why I'm here. I'm here for something much more important." Misty stopped, and calmed herself. This was the moment of truth. This was why she was here.

"Mrs. Ketchum… you saw Ash today, didn't you?"

She shot awake, startled. _Impossible… _Delia thought. _How could she know?_ "Yes… I did. It wasn't the first time. I've seen illusions of him… usually in my dreams, but I've seen him here as well. But… how did you know?"

Misty smiled. "Because I've seen him, too. And so has Brock. It isn't an illusion, Mrs. Ketchum. It's him. I know it is."

Delia shook her head. "No, no, no… he's gone, Misty. You know that, you saw him die. Dead people are gone. I've accepted that. Haven't you?"

"I had… but then he came to me. It wasn't just me, Pikachu saw him too. There's no way it isn't him. He knows everything Ash knew. He talks like Ash, he looks like Ash. It has to be him!" A blaze erupted in Misty's heart as she spoke. Delia had to see the truth. She **had to!**

"No! He's gone! He can't be here. It's impossible!" Delia cried out with a broken heart. She wanted to believe, but too many years of suffering and false hopes had taught her not to hope, ever. Her mind couldn't handle it.

"He is! Look at me, Delia!" Misty's eyes burned fiercely, and Mrs. Ketchum locked onto them. "Ash is back. You have to accept that. You _must! _He's not alive, we know that, but he's _here!_ You can see him again. You can talk to him again. Don't you want that?"

Mrs. Ketchum did, very much. She wanted to believe that she could see her Ash again. Her unbelief was starting to crack, to waver, just a bit. But it wasn't gone yet.

"But…" She started.

Misty cut her off. "And if you won't believe, think what that will do, to you and to Ash! He'll go through eternity, knowing his own mother basically disowned him! And you, you'll never see him again, even though you could see him _right now_ if you wanted to! So, Mrs. Ketchum, are you going to try to believe? Or will you lose your last chance to see your son?" Misty finished.

Where reason had failed, love did not. At the thought of losing Ash again, of being for a single instant the cause of his suffering, her heart lashed out at her unbelief, shattering it. Delia whispered "I want to believe."

Misty grinned. She knew that the battle in Mrs. Ketchum's head had been won. All that remained now was for Ash to show himself. "Good. Then… Ash. Where are you?"

"I'm here." Ash's voice spoke from the couch next to Misty. He materialized next to her. His mother stifled a gasp, just like the first time he had appeared, but this time it wasn't fear she felt. It was joy. She saw Misty looking at him. There could be no doubt. He was real.

"Hi, mom," Ash said softly.

"Ash… my Ash… you've come back to me." She said. She laughed. It was a sweet, light sound, and Ash always loved to hear it. Together, Ash and his mother rose and rushed into each other's arms. They laughed together. Misty smiled at the sweet display of affection. As she did, she felt the weight of her tiredness hit her full-force.

"Well, I think my work is done here. Mrs. Ketchum, do you think I could sleep here tonight?"

The pair separated after a moment, and Delia turned to Misty. "Yes, of course. You can sleep in Ash's bed, it's still made up. You remember where it is?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

"Thank you, Misty. I nearly missed out on something wonderful. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us," Delia replied warmly.

"Yeah, thanks, Misty." Ash chimed in.

"It was the least I could do. Good night." Misty walked up the stairs to Ash's room. She was too tired to do more than remove her Pokeballs and set them on Ash's old desk before she fell into the bed. As she drifted off, she faintly heard the start of the conversation between Ash and his mother.

"I'm glad you came around, mom. There's just so much to say, I don't know where to begin!"

"Well, if you don't know where to start, then I say you should start at the beginning."

"Well, then… the first thing I remember is remembering…"

* * *

NOTES (in other words, you can pretty much stop reading now)

Ahh! That chapter was waaaaay harder than it should have been. I got stuck on so many scenes… and it still didn't come out as good as I had hoped. But I've stalled far too long already, and I really can't make it much better. Sorry, it's just beyond my current skill level. Perhaps one day I'll return and rewrite this better, but for now this is as good as it's going to get.

Well, I knew something had to go wrong with Ash's revelations from the beginning. The hard part for me was thinking which of the three would be least inclined to accept Ash. I decided on Mrs. Ketchum, obviously, because she was alone. Misty had her friends, Brock had Misty and his father, but Delia was left alone to more or less stew in her misery. The question stands, would they have really done that to her? Perhaps not, but I felt it was likely enough for me to believe it could happen. But with Ash as a uniting factor, the three (or four, if you count Ash) are going to become closer than ever before. For a while, at least… heh heh heh…

I'm terribly sorry to everyone who's been waiting for this (all four of you, ha ha), but life has gotten in the way so many times… It's been a nightmare finding time to write this. And the next chapter might be delayed too, because I'm going home this week for Thanksgiving Break. But I'll try to have it up in two weeks. Don't hold your breath, though. Finals are coming up, and I really don't know how much time I'm going to have for this. I'll do my best, though. Believe it!

By the way, I asked you to guess the reference with Joey Spinner. And one person tried. But, surprisingly, she got it right! So, massive props to Pikagurl23, who is, incidentally, one of my favorite writers, for guessing correctly that it was to YuGiOh! Joey _Spinner, _Joey _Wheeler._ Get it? Yeah. That's where I got his name. The rest of them were drawn from people I know, though I didn't match up any first and last names.

So… yeah. I probably have more to say, but I can't think of it right now. Oh! The disclaimer!

I don't own Pokemon, or any of the characters from that anime. I do own Brian, though I'll probably let you use him if you ask nicely. Just don't steal him.

Well, that's really all I've got to say. Please write me a review and tell me how I did, or how you liked it, or give me a recipe for sesame chicken! Whatever you want to say, say it!

Until next time, this is James, signing off! Thanks again for reading, and I'll get back to you soon!


	4. Funeral for a Friend Love Lies Bleeding

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Four: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding_

Ash sat alone on his roof in Pallet and watched the sunrise. He always loved the display. It was his favorite time of day. (It wasn't before he had died, of course, because it came so early. But now that he didn't need sleep, there wasn't any reason for him not to be up to enjoy it every day.) Even after he had seen the whole world, he still had a new sunrise to look forward to every day. No two of them were ever alike, and he enjoyed watching the colors shift and play in the sky, celebrating the new day.

He was in an extraordinarily good mood this morning. After six years of loneliness, he had at last been accepted by the most important people in his life. He had talked to his mother for hours the night before, talking about his travels, and his friends' lives, and how Delia had been. They had shared some bad memories at times, but their words were always bright with their joy for being reunited. And this morning, Ash felt tired. As a being made more of emotion and mind than matter, being emotionally drained now felt much the same as being physically tired had felt when he was alive. He hadn't ever noticed it before, but coming off the high from the night before, it was plain as day. For only the second time since he had died, he had tried to sleep that night, but he found once again that that respite was denied to him. So he decided to lay in silent solitude on the roof, watching the skies peacefully, and wait for the dawn. It was a good rest.

As the sun rose higher, Ash heard someone rising in the house. From the direction of the noise, it seemed to be Misty. Which didn't surprise him, since his mother had only recently succumbed to sleep, and probably wouldn't wake up for quite some time. He waited for a while more to give Misty time to wake up, and then sank through the roof to greet her. He walked through the house, seeking her out, and found her in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Misty," Ash said. She waved a weary hand and grunted a greeting back at him. Ash, sensing he wasn't going to get a conversation out of her just yet, sat down at the table. Misty busied herself with making a pot of coffee. When everything was set up, she plopped down into a chair next to him.

"So how did it go?" She asked.

"Well… it was great! Once she got over the shock of it all, it was just like old times again." Ash beamed. "And the best part was that she really seemed happy again, like I remember her as a kid. None of that gloomy, dark crap like the first time I saw her. I really think that she might bounce back again."

"That's good." Misty yawned. "So… now what? Now that you've told everybody you wanted to that you're… well, whatever you are, what do you do next?"

"Well, I don't know," Ash said. "I never really thought about it. After all this time, just being able to talk to everyone again is all I really wanted. I guess I'll just… make the circuit. See you, Brock, and Mom every day or so, maybe stick around here and there… Whatever. What I do doesn't really matter too much to me anymore. I accepted that I couldn't be a trainer, or anything else, a long time ago. So… I guess I'm saying I don't really care."

Misty glanced at Ash. His face was blank, but she saw through him. The Ash she knew would never give up on his dreams so easily. "Bullshit, Ash. What do you really think?"

Ash looked quizzically at Misty. "When did you start cursing?"

She rolled her eyes. "When I grew up. Don't try to dodge the question, Ketchum!"

He sighed. "Fine. You know me. I've wanted to be a trainer for as long as I can remember. Even now, I do. But what can I do about it? I mean, I'm _dead._ I don't think the League gives ghosts trainer licenses. All I can do right now is exist. And if that's all I can do, I'd rather do it with the people I care about." He looked at her again, and then let his gaze fall to the floor.

Misty thought about this for a while, but she had to concede that he was right. There really was no other place for him in this world. "I'm sorry, Ash. I shouldn't have pressed you. For what it's worth, we're here for you."

"I know, Misty. Thanks." Silence fell between them.

A thought nagged at the back of Misty's head, something that had been bothering her since the trip to Pallet the night before. "Hey, Ash."

"Yeah, Misty?"

"Why did you come to me, anyway?"

Ash scoffed. "Uh, hello? Family crisis, crazy mom? Any of this ringing a bell?"

She slapped at him, her hand flying through his head. Unfazed, she continued, "No, you idiot! I mean, why _me_? Why didn't you go to Brock? He was closer, and older, and presumably wiser. Why did you come to me and not him?"

Ash opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Why _had _he gone to Misty? He hadn't really thought about it. It was an automatic thing, almost an instinct. He was hurt. Being with Misty made him feel better. That was how it went. Why shouldn't he turn to her? Why _wouldn't _he turn to her?

"I don't know. It just seemed right to go to you. I never thought about it, I just flew. Brock wasn't the right person. You were."

"Um… okay. Thanks, I guess."

Another silence fell, and they were content for the next couple of hours to just be in each other's company.

As afternoon came on, Delia finally rose and joined the pair in the living room. She looked completely different from the woman they had seen the day before. Her hair shone, her eyes sparkled with joy, and a bright smile was planted firmly on her lips.

"Good morning, Ash! And you too, Misty!" She exclaimed. "How was your night?"

"I don't sleep, Mom," Ash said. "But after last night, I wish I could."

"I slept okay." Misty remarked.

"Well, my night was perfectly peaceful. I haven't slept that good in years! Oh, everything's just so wonderful…" Delia gushed. She stared lovingly at Ash. "I never thought I would see my baby again."

"Mom…" Ash groaned. Misty snickered at the pet name. "For Mew's sake, I'm sixteen. _Please _don't call me your baby anymore."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ash." Her face fell a bit. "It's a little hard to accept, that you've grown so much without me there to see it… and the fact that you don't look like you've aged doesn't really help."

"It's okay, Mom. I get it." Ash smiled sadly at her.

This exchange was starting to make Misty feel out of place. She looked at the time, and saw it was approaching one o'clock. She'd already stayed far longer than she had planned to, and this seemed like as good a time to leave as any.

"Well, Mrs. Ketchum, I think it's time for me to get going. I've got an inspection to oversee this week, and I just hope I haven't missed it," Misty said, standing from her seat on the couch and stretching her legs.

"Oh, of course, dear! Oh, I hope you haven't missed your meeting just for us…" Delia bit her lip.

Misty waved her hand carelessly. "It doesn't matter. If I've missed it, I've missed it. You and Ash are way more important."

Delia beamed. "Thank you again, Misty. And please, come visit again sometime! You're always welcome here."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Misty replied.

Ash stood awkwardly in front of Misty, hands behind his head nervously. "Um, thanks, Misty. I'll be visiting sometime soon, probably in the next few nights. So… yeah. That's about it. Bye."

Misty eyed him warily for a moment. "Okay, then… See ya around, Ketchum."

They walked together to the door, and Misty left the mother and son on the front step of their home. They waved as she walked a way up the road, only going back in once she was out of sight. When she was certain that Slifer would not possibly see Ash or his mother, she released him. He looked at her curiously. She said "Mission accomplished, pal. Let's go home." The Dragonite roared in reply, and she climbed onto his back.

The trip back went quickly. Misty kept herself occupied thinking about the events of the past few days, and before she knew it, they had arrived at Cerulean Gym.

Her first reaction after climbing off of Slifer was amazement. There was a line of trainers literally stretching out the door! She wondered what could possibly have happened to make the gym so popular overnight. But as she approached the door, she heard a trainer call "Oh, hell. Misty's back!" As one, the group turned to her, and as several more trainers recognized her, the crowd began to move away. Misty watched them leave, then walked through the door, determined to get to the bottom of this.

At the front desk of the gym, she saw Natty, spinning in a swivel chair and waving at the last of the receding trainers. Pikachu sat next to her on the desk. Then Natty and Pikachu each saw her. With cries of "Misty!" and "Pikachupi!" they jumped up to greet her. Natty wobbled around the desk and crashed into her with a hug just a moment after Pikachu did the same.

"Whoa! What's with the big hello?" Misty asked.

"Oh, it's been a nightmare in here!" Natty replied. "A trainer came in first thing this morning, and when he found out you weren't here… well, he spread the word. Every trainer in a fifteen-mile radius came to have a chance at the Cascade Badge without having to fight you. I think Brian might die. He's still battling now. Actually, he should be—"

"Damn it, it's not fair!" An unfamiliar voice rang out of the stadium, and soon following it came one last trainer. "You're not Misty! How could you possibly—"

Brian sounded extremely tired as he cut the trainer off. "Shut up. I'm in no mood to deal with your whining right now. You lost, now leave! You can try again tomorrow, when I'm sure Misty will be more than happy to—Misty!" Brian came around the corner and caught sight of her. "You're back! Thank Arceus, I'm free! Free at last!" He did a weak little dance. "Twenty-nine trainers challenged me. Twenty-nine! Do you know how many Pokemon that is? I used all the gym's Pokemon, I pulled every Water Pokemon I've ever caught out of storage (which was, like, five, altogether) and I've fought as hard as I could through almost a hundred battles. I think I might retire."

"You… crap! How many of them beat you? Oh, a bunch of losses at once might tip the balance in the inspection… we might even lose our chance to place as the top Gym in Kanto!" Misty fretted.

"Oh, that. No, I won."

"You kept a winning record! That's great! But how many did you lose?"

Brian shook his head. "No, I mean I _won_. I beat every challenger. I don't know if I could beat any _more_, but… yeah. Twenty-nine wins, zero losses. I did give out a couple of badges, though. There were two trainers who fainted two of my Pokemon each, and I felt that they both deserved—"

His recap was cut off by Misty engulfing him in a bear hug. "Oh, I knew you could do it! Thank you, Brian, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He flushed, and his tired eyes looked everywhere except for Misty. "Um… sure. I mean, it wasn't _too_ hard; they were mostly just upstart trainers… And it was the Pokemon doing the work, anyway…"

Natty fumed. "Oh, no thanks for me? I helped too, you know!"

Misty released Brian and gave Natalia a pat on the head. "Okay, okay. Thanks for manning the front desk like a good girl."

"That's more like it." Natty grinned. "You should have seen it. He was amazing in there."

"Oh, shut up, Natty. It's not like those were the ace trainers we usually get here. They were just a bunch of kids hoping to snag an easy badge while the Leader was away. I bet Misty could have done it better. She knows water."

Misty smirked. "Damn straight I could have done better." Then she winked at him. "But you did a pretty good job yourself."

He smiled. "Thanks, Misty." Then, falling to his knees, Brian begged, "**Never make me do it again!**"

"Awww, Brian… you know I can't promise that. Especially now that you've proven how well you handle it!"

"Ah, well. It was worth a shot." He fell flat on his face and lay there, sound asleep.

"Hmm," Natty said. "Maybe you worked him a bit too hard."

Misty groaned. "Oh… maybe I did. But how was I supposed to know this would happen? I usually get one or two a day, five challenges at the most. I didn't realize how many weaker trainers pass me by." She knelt by Brian and shook him, then gave Pikachu a shot at him with Thundershock. He slept on. "He's out cold. Natty, can you help me carry him to my bed? He really does deserve a rest."

"Yeah, I'll get his legs." Together they carried him to Misty's bed and laid him on it. Misty took the Pokeball containing Slifer and placed it on the table beside him. As she did, Misty saw a featureless black car pull up out of her bedroom window. Well, nearly featureless. There was one symbol on the hood: the Pokemon League's official insignia. The inspector had arrived.

"Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap!" Misty exclaimed, leaving Pikachu with Natty and running down the halls to the front desk. She arrived just in time. Seconds after she sat down, a tall man in official-looking attire walked through the front door. He held a notepad, and he was already taking notes busily. He had the look of a man who was in no way messing around.

"I'm looking for a Misty Waterflower, Gym Leader of the Cerulean City Gym?" He inquired. His voice was dry and cutting, a voice that clearly did not favor words of mercy. Like everything else about him, he spoke in a no-nonsense sort of way.

"Yes sir, that's me," Misty replied.

"Well, then, I'm sure you know what I'm here for. So let's not waste any time, and get right to the inspection."

Misty stood up stiffly, and walked to stand in front of the man. Putting as much pride and formality in her voice as possible, she said, "Very well, then. May I ask your name, sir?"

"The name, miss, is Francis Tuttle."

"Well, then, Francis. Where do you want to begin?"

"As a water gym, I expect your pools to be in perfect condition. So, let us first examine those."

And so it went. Francis was tough, but fair. He pointed out every minute flaw in her system, examined every public room in meticulous detail, and thoroughly went over her records. When he reached the battle records for the current day, he stopped. He reloaded the data twice, and then spoke.

"This record can't be correct. According to this, there were _twenty-nine_ official battles at this gym today, and you didn't participate in any of them! They were all won by this Brian fellow. What is the meaning of this?"

Misty hung her head. "I was out of town from last night to this afternoon on urgent business. I only arrived here a few minutes ago. So I placed my assistant, Brian Edwards, in charge as the temporary leader. But when word got out that I was away, all the trainers who wouldn't have usually attempted a gym this difficult yet came to have a go."

"And he beat them all? Just what kind of assistant is he?"

"Well, sir, he is a trainer. He was the Hoenn League Champion a couple years back. If I had to be honest, sir, he's probably just a little bit better than me overall, though I am better with Water Pokemon. I'd trust this gym to him any day."

"I personally can't say I blame you. Remarkable… having two trainers of such high skill residing in one gym, just by coincidence. Ah, I must say I am impressed, Miss Waterflower. You have a very good system set up here."

Misty was relieved to hear that. She visibly relaxed as she said, "Thank you, inspector."

"Well, if this information is correct, then that that ends my inspection. And you did extremely well in every category. I would normally have docked you a bit for the disheveled state of your main battle arena, but if you've had twenty-nine battles there today, I really can't expect it to look any better. Your Pokemon are extremely well taken care of, if tired from their recent… activities, your facilities are top-notch, and your battle record is nearly flawless. Well done, indeed."

"Thank you." Misty replied. She had one more question. "So… do you think that we'll beat Viridian? As the top gym, I mean."

"Miss Waterflower, after what I've seen here today, I would not be at all surprised if your gym came out as the best in the entire _world_. That it is the best in Kanto is blindingly obvious. The only reason I don't declare it the absolute best right now is that I haven't _seen_ every gym in the world!" He laughed drily.

Misty was floating. _The best in the world… the whole world!_ "Oh, that's wonderful, sir."

"Please. I didn't do anything but report on what I saw. Speaking of which, my inspection is concluded, and I believe it's time for me to be on my way."

"Of course. I'll walk you out."

"Unnecessary, miss. I know my way out. But thank you." He paused for a moment. "It's a formality at this point, but the results of your inspection will arrive in six to eight weeks. Good day, Miss Waterflower." He walked briskly away from her, heading to the exit.

Misty held her composure for a few minutes, making sure that Francis was well away before she did anything. Then she whooped and started running down the halls, yelling for Pikachu and Natty.

She found the three in her room, exactly where she left them. Natty was writing something on her desk, while Brian and Pikachu were both asleep in her bed. As she walked in, Natty quickly hid her work, and jumped up. "Misty!" She yelped. Then she seemed to calm down (at least, as much as she ever calmed down) enough to say "So how did it go?"

Misty smiled. "Perfectly. The inspector said he thought we had the best gym in the world. And he was very impressed with how you two ran the gym in my absence."

"Really? That's great!" Natty replied. "Do I get paid for today?"

Misty was taken aback by this, before she said "Um… well, I guess so. We'll talk about it later." She said. She looked at Brian and Pikachu asleep on the bed. "Come on, Natty. Let's get out of here and let them sleep."

They left the room.

A few minutes later, Brian laughed softly to himself. "The best in the world, huh? Well, who'd have thought…? Other than me, of course. Yeah… As good as you are, and as hard as you work, you deserve it, Misty." Though his eyes remained closed, his face became more serious. "I just wish… I deserved what I want…

"Misty… Damn me, but why can't I just tell you?"

Thinking on that, he drifted back to sleep.

After walking around the gym for a few minutes, admiring her handiwork, Misty decided to call Brock and tell him how well her inspection had gone.

After a couple of rings, the Pewter Gym Leader's face appeared on the vidscreen. "Hey, Misty. Did Francis drop by to see you today too?"

Natty pushed Misty out of the way and yelled "Hi, Brock!" at weapons-grade volume. On the other end, Brock jumped back, falling out of view for a moment, before stepping back up.

"Yeah… Hi, Natty. What are you doing at the gym?"

"I was manning the front desk like a good girl!" She chirped.

Then she was cut off as Misty shoved her way back into view with "Wait your turn, girl! I called, so I'm talking first!" She huffed, and then smiled back at Brock. "Sorry about that."

"Whatever." He shrugged. "So how did your League thing go?"

"It was good."

"How good was it?"

"It was 'Best Gym in the World Title' good. Seriously. He didn't even mind that I had been gone today, because of Brian beating about thirty trainers today on his own."

Brock blinked in disbelief. "Thirty? What the hell, Misty? Did you tell all the trainers to gang up on the new guy, or what?"

"No, no, I didn't have anything to do with it! Well, a little. Turns out that there are a bunch of trainers who pass through Cerulean because they're afraid to face me. So when they found out I wasn't there, it got a little crazy."

"Well… Damn. I don't even think I could do that. I know you're better than me, but still. Damn. Where did you find this guy, Misty? And where have I heard of him before? I've felt like I've seen him before or something every time I've seen him since we met."

"Um… why don't you ask him sometime? I don't know, maybe you saw him on your journey once."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was on TV. Or maybe a contest? I just can't remember where."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. So, anyway, wasn't your inspection today, too?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't as good as yours. Oh, congratulations for your good job, by the way! But anyway, I'm sure I'll pass. It wasn't bad; he just wasn't that impressed or anything. He came in, looked around, looked at the Pokemon, said it was all "satisfactory", and left." Brock smiled. "Of course, this place is going to be trashed after tomorrow, because I'm finally going to start construction on the Pewter Breeding Center!"

"Brock, that's fantastic! So you're really going to do it?"

"Yeah, I'm really doing it. I'm taking my League vacation days for the next two weeks so I can close down the gym during the build. And I'm going to be looking for breeding assistants while it's closed. I just hope I can find somebody in that short of a time. Speaking of which, Misty, do you know anyone in Cerulean who might be interested and have some breeding experience?"

Misty did know someone who fit that description perfectly, someone who was standing not twelve feet from her. She looked over at Natty, who was silently pleading for Misty to mention her. She captured the Growlithe eyes look so well, Misty just couldn't turn her down. "Actually, Brock, I do. You know, Natty's mom owns the Cerulean breeding center, and Natty has a ton of experience working there. But she doesn't get paid. So she would probably be very interested."

"Hells yeah I would!" Natty interjected from the side.

"Not helping!" Misty hissed at her.

"Really?" Brock said, looking skeptical. "That seems kind of unlikely. And are you sure she's… you know… not certifiably insane?"

"No, not really."

Brock sat in thought for a moment. "Well, then. Hmm. I guess I could give her a shot, at least. But she'll have to be able to get to Pewter City. Can she?"

"Yeah, I can make it there!" Natty yelled. "When do I start? What will I do? Do you have a coffee machine? You need one. Will it be just me? What's your favorite Pokemon? Hey, can I-"

"_**Shut up!**_" Misty and Brock yelled together, silencing Natty's rambling.

Brock looked at her through the phone. "I'll give you a chance, because Misty's my best friend and I trust her judgment. But I don't know anything yet, I haven't even built the place yet! I'll call you later today at your house, and we'll talk about it. Okay?" Brock rubbed his eyes. "Oh, and that thing you just did? Please… just don't do that here. Ever."

Natty nodded. "I'll do my best. But no promises."

Brock shook his head. "That's the best I can hope for from you, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"Okay, then. I'll talk to you later. Now, could you give me and Misty some space? I need to talk to her privately."

"Sure, but don't you want my home number first?"

"Uhh… oh, yeah. I guess I'll need that. Thanks."

Natty typed her phone number below the screen and sent it to Brock. "There! I'm going home now, so I expect to hear from you today. Bye, guys!" She ran off.

Brock and Misty waited quietly for a minute, then Brock said, "So what happened? I've never heard of you leaving for an emergency before. I assume Ash was involved?"

Misty sighed. "Yes, he was. His mother thought she was hallucinating when he showed up alone, and Ash flew off in tears. He was still crying when he got here, and I had to help him. So I flew Brian's Dragonite to Pallet Town and talked to her myself. With me there, she believed, so everything's okay now."

"Why did he go all the way out to Cerulean, though? Pewter's closer."

"I really don't know," Misty answered. "He said it just felt right to come here. I asked him the same question this morning."

Brock shrugged again. "Well, it doesn't really matter, as long as the problem's solved."

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "So was that all you wanted to say in private, then?"

"Pretty much. Ash stayed in Pallet, right?"

"Yes, but he's going to be visiting us all regularly. I don't think he plans to make Pallet his permanent home, or anywhere else."

Brock watched her face fall as she spoke those words. "You feel bad for him, don't you?"

She nodded slowly. "I do. All day today, I've kept remembering how much he wanted to be the Master. I know they were long odds, but watching him, seeing his spirit, I always believed that he would do it, that someday we'd be at the Indigo Plateau watching him take the title. I know he still wants it now, but there's not a thing he can do about it. I really wish I could help him somehow. He deserves a life."

"Don't worry too much about it, Misty. You're right, there's nothing any of us can do for him except be here. Do what you can, and don't think about what you can't, or you'll go crazy wondering what might have been. Ash is strong. He's learned to cope with his problems all on his own, and that's just going to have to be enough. I hate it too, but that's just life."

"Yeah. I guess so. Well, I'll talk to you some other time, Brock. I've got work to do."

"Bye, Misty." Brock's face disappeared as the line disconnected.

Misty stood and stretched her legs, then started to the arena to start cleaning it back up. _After all, _she thought, _we can't have a broken battlefield in the world's best gym, can we? _

She smiled as she began to work.

* * *

The next six weeks went by without much incident. This was, once again, a rather boring part of our story, and so, in the interest of keeping the story moving along, we shall for the most part skip it. The most important points are as follows, in no particular order:

Brock did start and finish work on his new Breeding Center. Natty started work there from day one, and though she did prove to be exactly as eccentric as before (if not more so), she also proved to be a very capable breeder. Brock was satisfied with her, and didn't see the need for anyone else. He worked it with her, and that was enough to begin with.

Misty's gym returned to normality with her return, and the only notable difference was that she worked even harder than before to make everything absolutely perfect.

I like cake.

Ash kept up a cycle, visiting Misty, Brock, and his mother. Sometimes he would hang around one of them for a few days, and sometimes he would visit all three in one day. He didn't make a schedule; he simply went wherever he wanted to be, whenever he wanted to go.

Again, though these weeks were _mostly _bare of interesting scenes, they did have a few. These, however, are ordered chronologically, from first to last. And yes, I did have to say that.

The first of these scenes occurred three days after the inspection of Cerulean gym.

* * *

Ash flew through the evening sky. After four days of catching up with Delia, he had once again left his home. His mother had been a bit leery of him leaving her, but he had talked her out of holding him there:

"_Mom, I need to __**go**__. I have to get away from here sometimes, you know? I'm still a traveler at heart. And I want to see Misty for a while… and Brock."_

"_But… Ash. I just… what if you don't come back? I don't think I can lose you again, Ash. And there's still a part of me that just can't survive without you."_

_"You let me go on my Pokemon journey, mom. Then, I was leaving for months or years at a time, and you still let me go."_

_"And look what happened!"_

_"…I know. But… Well, at least it can't happen again!"_

_"Ash!"_

_"Oh, come on. I'm just trying to make you smile… Please, mom. I'll only be gone for a few days this time, at the most. I might be back tomorrow. You'll barely notice I'm gone."_

_"Oh… All right, Ash. Go. Just come back soon, okay?"_

_"I will, mom. I promise…"_

So, free once more, he flew to Cerulean City, where Cerulean Gym and Misty awaited him.

For a minute, as he flew high above Kanto, Ash caught sight of Pewter City, and he considered going straight to Brock first, and seeing Misty the next day. But as soon as the thought had occurred to him, he pushed it away. _After all, Brock will still be there tomorrow, but Misty… _Ash struggled to find a way to complete that thought so he could justify seeing her first, but nothing came to mind. In the end, he went on to Cerulean anyway, with just a slight bit of guilt for leaving Brock last yet again.

Misty waited in her room, as she had the last few nights, wondering if Ash would ever show up. At times, she wondered if the whole thing had been a crazy, complicated dream, but she always had Pikachu to back her up when those doubts came to her. So, constantly assured of his existence, she worked on some paperwork to pass the time and give him the chance to find her alone and unoccupied.

As she finished a report, she heard a knock at her window. She turned, her heart rising, to see Ash smiling through it. She waved him in, and he floated through into her room. Pikachu immediately rose off Misty's bed to jump into Ash's waiting arms. Ash and Misty laughed together.

Misty said, "So, how was your time at home?"

"Um… boring. There's really nothing for me there but Mom, and we can't talk _all_ the time. And after a day or two, we sort of ran out of things to talk about anyway. So I had a lot of time to just sit around by myself, with nothing to do. And I just don't like to be tied down anywhere, you know? I like being free to go wherever I want. I guess that's a part of why I'm… why I was a trainer."

"Oh," Misty replied. "So you're just going to go wherever, whenever?"

"I guess so. I'm not making plans beyond right now. I may change my mind in a couple minutes, I don't know."

"Well, if that's okay with you, then I guess it'll do."

They sat together a moment, Misty watching as Ash scratched Pikachu's ears absentmindedly. Then Misty felt the need to say something.

"Hey, Ash?"

"Mhmm?

"Um… I missed you."

"Oh. I missed you too, Misty."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Eventful? No. Important? Immensely.

Now, the second scene takes place two weeks later, at the Pewter Gym.

* * *

Brock's arm dropped back to his side.

He had been waving at Natty as she flew back to Cerulean on her Pidgeot. They had just finished their first day of work together, getting ready for the opening of the Pewter Breeding Center tomorrow morning. Brock was impressed by how much Natty already knew about breeding; he was going to have to thank Misty for sending her over.

As he walked back into the gym, Brock rubbed his temples, trying to massage the pain away. He hadn't realized exactly how loud Natty was going to be in person, and now he had a splitting headache; he was going to have to kill Misty for sending her over.

He took some medicine for his headache, then decided to take a look at the new facilities again. He had them memorized by now, but he still enjoyed looking them over. The novelty of finally owning his own breeding center hadn't worn off yet.

Brock was admiring the shine on the special kitchen he planned to use to prepare new Pokemon foods when he heard Ash yell "Hey, Brock, what's up?" from the gym doors.

Brock yelled back "Come on through! I have something to show you!"

Ash walked through the walls, looking around at the new work, until he found Brock.

"Nice place you have here," Ash remarked.

"I know. I love it. I should really thank you again for spurring me on, you know."

Ash shrugged. "Ah, it's what I do. Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective. And you're welcome, anyway."

Brock nodded. Then he clapped and rubbed his hands together, saying "So! Since this is the first time you've been here since we finished working, how about I give you the grand tour?"

Ash grinned. "Cool! To be honest, I've never been in a breeding center before, so I'm kind of curious about what all this stuff is for."

Brock waved his arm to show the room around him as he said "Well… for starters, this room is my kitchen. Remember when I would make food for the Pokemon when we travelled?"

Ash nodded. "I remember. They always loved your recipes. I did too, but I'm probably not the best person to judge food."

Brock chuckled, remembering how much Ash would eat in a single sitting; once, he had actually got them thrown out of a Pokemon center for eating too much. "Yeah, probably not. Anyway, I've read a lot of research on how different diets affect Pokemon development, and I'm planning to design special foods for different Pokemon to best meet their individual needs."

"Sounds hard. So then this kitchen is for your experiments?"

Brock nodded. "Exactly. And, between you and me, this is probably where I'll do my best work. I know a lot about breeding, but I'm a damn good cook too, if I say so myself. So being able to combine those here is my favorite thing about having the center."

"I get that." Ash said. "So what else have you added?"

"Follow me, and I'll show you!" Brock replied.

They walked through the center, Brock pointing out all the new additions. Inside, there was a new examination room, some medical supplies and a room for recuperating and sick Pokemon, a grooming salon, food stores, and a small library of books on all sorts of subjects concerning breeders, like nutrition and egg groups.

Outside, Brock showed him the enormous fenced-in area where most of the Pokemon would live and play. There was a large pond for Water Pokemon, and a darkened place for Pokemon like Zubat and Paras who preferred to sleep in dark caves.

"So, Ash, what do you think?" Brock said proudly.

"It's a real nice place, but you've left out that building over there." Ash pointed out a smallish structure on the fringes of the area.

"Oh, that? That's the egg room. It's where we'll put the eggs when they arrive. It's really boring, just some incubators."

"Oh." Ash was silent for a moment. "Brock, how do Pokemon have eggs?"

Brock shrugged. "No one knows. They just appear out of sight, and people find them. We've tried researching, but the Pokemon seem to be actively sabotaging our efforts to find out."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"Well, we know that they don't reproduce how humans do, because there are some Pokemon pairs that have eggs in ways that make that impossible. The extreme example everyone cites to prove that is Skitty and Wailord; they can make an egg, and there's simply no way for them to… well, do anything like people do. But what they _do_ do, no one knows. We've tried watching them, but they always do it out of sight. In more than one case, people have tried setting up cameras to watch them twenty-four/seven, but the Pokemon wanted nothing of it. In each case, the Pokemon either found a place the cameras couldn't see to have eggs, or simply refused to make them. It has everyone baffled."

"Hmm… That's really weird," Ash remarked.

"No kidding. There have been Pokemon professors who have tried to solve this question for fifty years, and we're no closer to solving the mystery than we were when we started. They've even tried interviewing some of the more intelligent Pokemon, like Lucario and Slowking, but they simply won't talk."

"Bizarre… Hmm. I wonder if they'd know if I watched them?" Ash mused.

Brock nodded thoughfully. "It's worth a shot. If you found out, you'd revolutionize breeding. Well, not _you_, but _somebody_ would revolutionize breeding."

Ash grinned. "Well, if I ever find out, I'll be sure to let you know."

They walked back towards the gym. Brock went to the kitchen to snack on some ramen. Ash watched him.

"Hey, Brock?"

"Mhmm?" Brock replied through a mouthful of noodles.

"Um… have you ever had a girlfriend, or anything like that?"

Brock snorted, and swallowed so he could say, "The only girl I know is Misty… and Natty, now," he added thoughtfully. "But Natty's too young for me, and Misty's… well, she's Misty. She's like my sister. I love her, but I don't _love_ her, you know what I mean?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah… Misty. I love her too, but…" He stopped.

Brock looked at Ash. "But…"

He stared at the wall in thought. "But… I don't know. I was going to say what you did, but I couldn't. I just…" Ash's mind froze for a moment. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Brock, what does it feel like when you love someone?"

Brock shrugged. "I don't know. I realized a long time ago that I didn't really love any of the Jennys or Joys or other girls I met along the way." He stopped for a second before continuing, "Well… there was maybe something with Duplica, but I don't really know about that. But most of what I felt was hormones and lust, not love. You'd have to ask somebody else if you want a good answer, somebody who knows what they're talking about."

"Oh. Well, there's Misty. Has Misty ever had a boyfr…" As the word came to Ash's lips, a sudden weight settled into his stomach. _She can't be dating somebody now, can she? She's Misty! She couldn't…_

Brock finished his sentence. "A boyfriend? No. Maybe she likes some guy, but as far as I know she's never had a date of any kind. And I think she would keep me updated on something like that. She doesn't keep secrets from me."

The weight lifted, and Ash felt a thousand times better. He sighed in relief. "Oh. Okay, then. I'll just… find somebody else, then."

"Why do you want to know?" Brock chuckled. "I hate to say it, Ash, but you've got to remember that you're dead. The dating scene's kind of closed to you. Well, maybe Misty, but… wait… you don't think you love Misty, do you?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Ash protested. "I just think… you know, I might love somebody someday, and I might need to know what it feels like."

Brock looked skeptical for a moment, but only said, "Well, if you say so. I don't see much hope for you, though."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot, Brock. Your sympathy is just incredible."

Brock rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, just saying what came to mind."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

After that, they sat in silence for a while, punctuated by the sound of Brock slurping noodles.

* * *

Again, uneventful but important.

This third scene comes four weeks later, at Cerulean Gym. Well, actually _above_ Cerulean Gym:

* * *

Ash smiled as he watched the party play out.

Two days before, Misty had finally received the results of her inspection, and her hopes had been realized and surpassed. Along with her results, which were absolutely perfect in almost every category, she received a letter of commendation from Pokemon League President Charles Goodshow. The letter congratulated her on her success and her excellent work, saying that Mr. Tuttle had been so impressed by her gym that he had taken it upon himself to personally track down the results for every other gym overseen by the League, even travelling to Blackthorn City to double check the results there, trying to find a better gym. When he had finished, he hadn't found a single gym in the world with better results than Cerulean. Francis had taken his results to Mr. Goodshow and asked him to do something to thank Misty for doing such an excellent job, so the President was going to honor her hard work and dedication in a ceremony at the next Pokemon League Conference that year.

When she received the letter, Misty had read it through three times, then fainted straight away. Luckily, Pikachu had been there to wake her up with a quick Thundershock.

So today Misty had closed the gym for the evening, and she was having a small party to celebrate her achievement. Brian, Natty, Joey, and Stephanie were all there, and Brock had come from Pewter. Mrs. Ketchum had come, too, bringing along Professor Oak to everyone's surprise. Natty, Joey, and Stephanie were all confused, not knowing about Ash, as to why Delia was there, and Delia respected Misty's wish for privacy by only saying she was "an old friend." With all his friends in the same place, Ash had hung around the party all day, wishing he could join in. Delia and Samuel had already gotten tired and left, not exactly being "party people," so it was just the teenagers now, and Ash watching them unseen.

Right now, Misty and Brian were in a double battle against Brock and Natty, and it wasn't going well for the latter pair. The combination of Misty, with her type advantage against Brock's Rock Pokemon, not to mention her new title as the World's Best Gym Leader, and the Champion Brian, was just too much for Brock and Natty to handle; for that matter, it was too much for almost any two trainers to handle. Though each trainer was allowed to use three Pokemon, Brock and Natty each had only one weakened Pokemon remaining, while Misty and Brian had yet to lose a single Pokemon, only switching out once each to give their Pokemon a rest, and they were getting ready to finish the match.

"Starmie! Bring on a Water Pulse!" Misty commanded.

"Steelix! Iron Tail, and end this!" Brian ordered.

The two attacks hit full force, and Brock's Onix and Natty's Houndoom hit the ground together.

"Both Gym Leader Brock's Onix and Natalia's Houndoom are unable to battle! The winners are Gym Leader Misty and Brian!" Stephanie shouted.

Misty grinned. "Ha! Don't mess…

"With the best!" Brian finished.

"Cerulean Gym!" They yelled together.

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, jumping from behind to stand on Misty's head.

"Okay, I have to say, that was just about the worst butt-kicking I've seen in a long time," Joey said, as the four trainers thanked and recalled their Pokemon. "You two were dynamite together!"

"Oh, come on!" Natty complained. "That was the least fair matchup ever. Misty had a type advantage over Brock, **and** Brock had to deal with having me for a partner! I'm a breeder, not a fighter! Not to mention that Misty and Brian can both beat me or Brock any day of the week."

"Hey, don't hate the players, hate the game," Brian said.

Everyone else sweatdropped.

"That was just… so bad… Misty, hurt him." Stephanie said.

"Already on it," Misty replied, pulling out her mallet.

"Oh, damn it all to—" Brian started, just before his face was smashed into the earth by an enormous hammer blow.

Natty giggled. "Okay, I feel much better now."

"Agreed," Brock agreed.

"I do **not** concur!" Brian yelled back, his voice muffled once again by the ground. "Mmm… Misty, what have you done with this ground? It tastes much better than usual." He stood up, wiping his mouth and spitting. "Too bad it's still dirt."

"Don't make stupid jokes," Misty said simply, before turning and walking back to the pavilion where food was set up.

Light floated from Ash's eyes as he laughed at the events going on below him. As he watched, though, he saw something that drained all the humor out of the moment.

As Misty and the others left Brian sitting in the dust, Brian had a moment when he thought no one was looking at him. In that moment, as Brian looked at Misty, Ash saw a look on his face that he had seen a few times before. In travelling the world, Ash had seen couples in love, and people stricken with hopeless longing that they would never show. He might not have known what love and longing felt like, but he sure as hell knew what it looked like. And longing was exactly what was painted on Brian's face.

Longing for Misty.

_Longing _for _Misty!_

_**Misty!**_

Ash felt as though a dark hand had reached up and grabbed him by the throat. He was gripped by jealous fury; he wanted to fly down there, grab Brian, take him a few miles up, and drop him.

After a moment, Ash caught himself, and his anger settled. For a minute, he thought about what had just happened.

_I've never felt that way before… that animal rage, and just because he obviously likes Misty._

_Misty…_

His head felt funny as he looked down at her. He sat in introspection, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind.

_It's Misty, it has to be. Ever since I came back, I've been paying more attention to her than to Brock or Mom. I think about her more, and I like being with her more. When I was hurt right after I came back, I ran to her. I didn't think about it at the time, but the more I try to remember what I was thinking, the clearer it gets. I just wanted Misty, because I feel… how does Misty make me feel?_

He looked back at her, trying to pinpoint what he felt. _It's kind of like being warm, but not really. It's more like… I feel lighter… happier… just to be around her._

He floated down to the ground, remaining unseen and unheard, so he could be closer to her. For a moment, after he touched ground, he just sat by the poolside and watched her as Natty and Stephanie tried to throw grapes into her mouth. Misty giggled as one smacked her in the teeth, and Ash found himself laughing along with her. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Ash caught sight of his reflection in the pool water.

As he had laughed with Misty, he thought he had seen a very familiar look on his own face. He watched her for a moment again, keeping a bit of his mind on the reflection. A few minutes later, he realized that the look was back. Careful not to change his expression, he turned to face the water. And in his reflection, he found what he was looking for.

The eyes staring back at him sparkled, and his mouth sat in a lopsided smile. That was the look that had learned to expect when a couple was around him. It was affection, and longing, and most of all…

Moments from the past few weeks flashed through Ash's mind. Ash's decisions to go to Misty as soon as possible, time and time again; his pause when he said he loved Misty, unable to take it back; every touch, every hug, every word he had shared with Misty; the twinge of pain every time he had to leave her; and just now, the look on his face he knew had been there every time he watched Misty since he returned; it all fit perfectly together, and suddenly Ash knew exactly what was going on in his head.

_Love._

_That's what it's been all this time. I… I love her. I love Misty. That's why I got mad a minute ago, why I get so happy just to be with her, why I've thought about her so much… I'm in love with Misty! _Out loud, but unheard by anyone but himself, he laughed as he yelled "That's it! I love Misty!"

He laughed at his outburst, and then flew off into the sky, needing to burn off some of his excitement. He burst through the clouds, turning circles and loops and screws in the air. Finally, he settled back above Cerulean Gym.

There, his excitement began to wane, and reality started to sink in.

"What am I _thinking_? I can't do anything with Misty. I'm… I'm dead. Even if she could ever feel the same way for me that I do for her, we're separated. I'm never going to age, and she's getting older every day, every moment… Ahh, damn it! Why does it have to be this way?" He cried, his jubilation of a moment before all but forgotten. He looked back down one more time at Misty, and the feeling in his heart flared up once more. But this time, it was accompanied by a bitter despair at the thought that he could never have her. The combination was almost enough to send Ash into tears.

He had to leave; he had to get away. As bad as being separated from the world was, being _this_ close to Misty, but never close enough, was just too much. He couldn't stay here any longer, as much as he hated to be alone.

There were worse things than being alone.

But he couldn't just leave, not now. Ash thought. _I can't face Misty now, not knowing the truth of how I feel about her, but there's no way I can just leave her without any explanation, without any cause. She said she missed me when I'm gone; Misty wouldn't lie about that, not for me or for anyone. I have to say goodbye, somehow..._

_No matter how much it hurts._

_I have to._

_For her._

With that thought in mind, Ash floated slowly down to Cerulean Gym, dreading what he was soon going to do, but knowing it had to be done.

* * *

Misty was still laughing as she sent Natty and Brian, the last two party guests, home. It had been a wonderful day, but now she was ready to see Ash. The past few weeks, she had felt that way, especially when she knew Ash would be there that night; sometimes the day just felt like an obstacle she needed to pass so she could be with him that night. She thought about what they would talk about that night.

_Ah… I wonder what he'll say about the gym being the best? Ooh, I bet he's really jealous of me right now. Ah, poor guy… I do wish I could help._

"So, Pikachu, how did you like the party? It was good, right?" Misty asked the Pokemon on her shoulder.

"Pichu Pichupi pikachu!" He responded happily.

"Good. You think Ash will be waiting for us in the room?"

Pikachu shrugged. "Pikapi pikachupi pika kachu."

"I hope he is," Misty responded. Pikachu nodded in agreement.

But as Misty walked into her room, her hopes fell. Ash was nowhere to be seen, and she didn't expect him to try to surprise her today. She expected congratulations, envy maybe, but Ash would never be bitter about it. But where was he?

As she moved about, getting ready to sleep after a long day of playing, Pikachu jumped down onto her bed. He grabbed a piece of paper that had been crumpled up on the pillow and brought it to Misty. "What is this?" She asked. She unrolled it to find a note written on the paper.

"_Dear Misty,_

_"It's me, Ash. Congratulations on your success with the gym. I knew you had it in you to be the best. I'm really glad you made it._

_"But there's something else I have to say. Misty, today I realized that"_

The note ended there. Misty turned it over, curious about the ending, but there was nothing written on the back, either. She looked around to see if he had written anything else, but there wasn't another note anywhere.

"There's not another note."

"Ash!" Misty turned to see him floating solemnly behind her.

"Hi, Misty." He smiled, but Misty could tell something was amiss. He lacked his normal fire, his enthusiasm for life that he never seemed to lose, even in death. His eyes seemed sad, lackluster and empty.

"Hi, Ash. So, what's with the note?" She asked warily.

He sighed. "Misty… I was going to just leave the note, but I got that far and realized there was no way I could leave without saying goodbye."

She giggled. "Oh, that's all? You know you can leave me whenever, I know you hate being tied down. So where are you going? And when will you come back?"

As she spoke, Ash looked forlornly into her eyes, and she was gripped by a sudden fear. "You're coming back… right?"

"Misty…" Ash started. "Today, I realized something. I just… Even though I feel so happy to be with you, at the same time there's been a little seed of sadness in me when I'm around you. Today I realized what it was, and now the seed has grown into a vine that's twisted around my heart. As bad as not knowing was, knowing has made it so much worse… it's all I can do not to break down right now."

"Oh, my… Ash, what did I do? I mean, I can fix it, right? Right?" Misty pleaded.

Ash shook his head, and as he did, those little points of light started to fall from his eyes. "No, Misty. It's not something you can fix. It's not your fault at all. If anything, you're… you're just so perfect, Misty. Maybe too good. But the problem is mine, not yours."

"What is it, Ash? It can't be that bad, we can get through it! I can't…" Tears began to stream down Misty's face. "Ash, I can't lose you again. It was hard the first time, but now… I don't know what I would do if you left me, Ash. I need you."

"Misty, please," Ash said, desperation rising. "I know, it's hard. It's hard for me, too, you know? But this is something I have to do. I'm sorry, Misty. Oh, Arceus… I'm so sorry."

Misty tried to speak, but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a sob. She fell to her knees with her face in her hands, crying again. Pikachu rushed to her side, nuzzling into her chest. Then Pikachu turned to face Ash, angrily crying "Pikapi! Pika pika, pichu pikachupi pi! Pi ka pika chu?"

"Of course I don't want to leave Misty, and I'd never try to hurt her!" Ash protested. "Pikachu, you have to understand, there's some things I can't control. I don't want this."

Pikachu's face softened, and then he too burst into tears. "Pikapi…"

Ash knelt, so he could hug his first, most faithful Pokemon one more time. "I'm gonna miss you too, buddy."

Ash carried Pikachu to Misty, and placed him in her arms. "Misty…" He tried to touch her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away. Anger blazed through her eyes

In biting tones, she spat "Well? What are you waiting for? You want to leave, then go. See if I care…" Her strong front faded, and she broke into tears again. "Ash, I do care. But… can't you at least tell me why? I know you; you're not a bad person. You wouldn't leave without a good reason."

Ash struggled within himself, not knowing the right answer. Would it be better for Misty to know, or to remain in the dark? He would be gone either way… If she knew, would it hold her back? Or would her ignorance drive her insane? Many scenarios like this played through Ash's mind, but in the end, he knew what he had to do.

"Misty, I love you."

Misty gasped. Her eyes widened in shock. "You… you love me?"

Ash nodded. "That's just it. I love you, Misty. But for me, that's just a curse. I can never be with you. Sometimes it seems like we forget it, now that I can talk to you again, but I'm still dead. And for another thing, I'm never going to age again. I can't watch you grow old and die, and me still be here. It would destroy me."

"But, Ash…" Misty's mind jumped around, much like Ash's had in the instant he realized his feelings, thinking about how she had felt the past few weeks. Most plainly, one memory stuck out in her mind:

_"Did you love him?"_

_"No, I don't think so… I don't think it was love, at least not yet."_

In that moment, she realized that if she was asked that question now, she wasn't sure what her answer would be.

"Ash, why do you think you love me?"

Ash looked taken aback. "Why? Hmm…" He thought. "It's how I feel around you. I feel happier, lighter, freer than I do anywhere else. And when I'm not with you, I think of you a whole lot. I want to get back to you as fast as I can. Sometimes I feel like the rest of my day is just getting in the way of being with you. And I want you to be happy. Isn't that what love is?"

Misty closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Everything he said resonated perfectly with her; she understood all of it, because she had felt the exact same way ever since Ash came back. "Yeah, Ash, I think that's what love is."

"Then that's why I think I love you."

Misty opened her eyes, and smiled at Ash. "Then… I think I love you too, Ash."

Ash was shocked, to say the least. He started floating away, dazed. "That's… Oh, Misty! Why would you do that to yourself?"

Misty felt stung by his remark. "What do you mean? Don't you want me to love you?"

"Misty, haven't you heard a word I've said? We can't be together. There's too much between us. Age, death, and time... it's too much to overcome. I'm happy you love me too, but it's just… in a way, it might be better if you didn't. Not for me; for you." Ash returned to the floor, sat down, and put his head in his hands. "Oh, Misty…"

Misty hated every word he said, because she knew it was all true. There was simply too much to overcome.

Misty walked over to Ash, and wrapped her arms around him. He broke down in her arms. They cried together, because each knew they could never really be together.

"You know what?" Ash said, still wrapped around Misty.

"What?" Misty asked.

"I really hate Mewtwo right now."

Misty giggled through her tears. "Yeah, me too." Her face fell again. "Do you think we would have been together? You know… if you had lived."

"Yeah, Misty. I do."

"Good."

Ash and Misty released each other, but stayed looking at one another. Misty felt something stir in her heart. She leaned in… closed her eyes…

But Ash moved away.

"Misty… I can't. It's hard enough for me to go now."

"Ash!"

He stood. "Tell my mom and Brock I'm sorry. I'll try to visit sometime… you know, if I can bear it. I don't know if I can, but I'll try."

Ash turned. "Misty… don't forget me. But try to move on, okay?"

"Ash…" Misty whimpered.

"Just… try. For me. Please?"

"Okay, Ash."

"Goodbye, Misty." He floated towards the window.

"Goodbye… Ash," she whispered.

For a moment, his resolve almost failed. He faltered, he started to turn back to her…

Then he caught himself, and he was off like a rocket into the night.

Misty lay on her bed with Pikachu. She didn't cry… but she didn't expect to sleep that night, either.

She was right.

* * *

Chapter Four, Complete!

_Victory theme from Final Fantasy VII plays._

Whoo! That's it!

Well, I bet most of you thought I was dead. Nope! I'm still alive and writing!

First off, I want to apologize to everyone who's waited for this fic. I'm really sorry. Life is hard. Since the publishing of the last chapter, I've gained a new job, new friends, new semester, and I've found and lost a girlfriend. This has taken away a lot of my writing time. Oh, and I specifically want to apologize to Aaron Godinez, to whom I promised I would have this out by Wednesday of two weeks ago. Obviously, that didn't happen. But I did try, I just… well, something happened, something bad. So I lost those two days I expected to have to finish it. I'm sorry.

Now… about the story. Now, there may be some confusion over why I put in a confession scene so early. Well, I don't think of this as a "They reveal their feelings" story. I think of it as "Love conquers all (_or does it?I_)" story. So they learned about their love early on. This complicates things, but that's okay.

Man, I just love Natty. Don't you?

And this was a very dramatic chapter. I like drama. It is fun to write.

Anybody recognize that chapter title? If anybody recognizes it, I'll mention you in the next chapter notes.

Okay, the disclaimer!

I don't own Pokemon. That's it. Everyone cry.

And now, the obligatory beg for reviews!

_**Please, please, please review! For every person who reviews, I won't kick any puppies for a whole day! **_(Note: Kittens are not puppies. They are cute, however.)

Well, it's been fun, but now I've got to get to work on Chap. Five! So, to all who read this, adieu. Tune in next time, when everyone will be miserable for a while! Hooray!

Smell you later!

Gary

I mean,

Bye! Review!

James, aka FTEcho 4


	5. Kindred Spirits

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Five: Kindred Spirits_

"Hey, Misty, have you checked the pool levels today? Dewgong was acting like the water was a little uncomfortable, I think the pH might be low... Misty?"

Misty snapped back to attention. Rubbing her eyes, she said "Sorry, Brian, I'm wiped out from last night. What did you say?"

"Nothing important. I think you just gave me my answer. I'll check them. But what's wrong with you? Too excited to sleep last night?" Brian smirked.

Misty gave a hollow laugh. "Something like that."

Brian looked at her, concerned. "Misty? Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. Let's just say I had a really bad night, okay?"

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No. I'll handle it."

"You sure?"

"I said I'd handle it!" Misty snapped.

Brian was taken aback by the outburst. "Well, okay. But, if you ever do want to talk... Well, the offer stands. I'll be here for you as much as you let me be."

Misty calmed herself. "Thanks, Brian," she said. "And... Sorry for snapping at you like that. It's not your fault I feel this way."

"It's okay, Misty. Apology accepted. And, you know, if you want to try and get a nap or something, I think I can hold things down for a while." He started to walk away. Twirling a hand flippantly, he quipped, "It's not like you're getting much done in the state you're in, anyway."

She had to admit there was some truth to that. "Yeah... I guess I'll try."

Misty trudged to her bedroom, shut her door, and calmly lay down on the bed next to the still-sleeping form of Pikachu. A few moments later, she was asleep as well.

As Brian got the testing equipment from storage, he glanced in the direction of Misty's room. He sighed, and shook his head for a moment. "It's none of my business," he said out loud. "Yeah... None of my..." He stopped, and slammed the door, before leaning his head against it. "Damn it, Misty... Why won't you just trust me a little?"

Over the past few weeks, Brian had received the distinct impression that Misty was hiding something from him and Natalia. But Brock was in on it; that much was clear. Brian had heard Brock send Natty away, just as Misty did the same to him, not just once, but several times. You didn't need to be a genius to see that _something_ was going on during those talks. Misty and Brock had never had any private conversations before a few weeks ago, and now they were coming fast and frequent.

The thing was, whatever Misty was hiding didn't seem to be getting her down. On the contrary, she was the happiest than Brian had ever known her to be. That alone had kept Brian from trying to learn Misty's secret. _But if it's hurting her now,_ he thought, _then I'll be damned if I don't try to get to the bottom of this._

Brian sighed again. _**After **__I fix the pool._

* * *

Ash floated slowly through the forest, not paying any attention to where he was going. After all, why should he care where he went? As long as it was away from Misty.

_It will be better for both of us this way, _Ash thought. _She can move on, live without me, and I… well, I'm dead. It doesn't really matter what I do or don't do. I'm going to be miserable either way; I might as well be miserable and alone. I won't hold anyone down that way._

_Right?_

As Ash drifted, he caught sight of something in the distance, far to the east. It pulled at his mind, and so he turned that way, almost unconsciously.

A few miserable eternities later (relative to Ash), he arrived at the landmark he had noticed.

The Tower.

"Oh," Ash remarked. "Yeah, that makes sense."

He landed and walked inside.

"Hey! Anybody home?" Ash yelled. Moments later, Gengar and Gastly stuck their heads through the ceiling.

Seeing it was only Ash, they came through to welcome him.

"Gast!"

"Gar Gengar!"

"Hi, guys. Well… I guess I'm back. Home sweet home, am I right?" Ash giggled at the joke. He kept giggling, on and on, before erupting into a high-pitched cackle. He fell backwards, laughing madly, until the laughter dissolved into sobs.

Never growing tired, never needing to drink, or eat, or anything else, Ash cried on the floor of the tower for three days before he came back to himself.

Ash sniffled a bit, then rose off the floor.

"Gast! Gastly Gast!" Gastly was surprised to finally see him move, and called Gengar. Gengar floated back into the room, and together they floated in front of Ash. They knew why he had left, but they both wondered together why he had returned.

"Gengar gar?"

"I guess you want to know why I'm back, right?" They nodded. Well, Gengar nodded. Gastly sort of bobbed in midair, but Ash got the idea. "Well, it's just… you've never been in love, right?"

Gengar and Gastly looked at each other, and back at Ash. Gengar shrugged, and Gastly turned over, puzzled.

Ash sighed. "I didn't think so. Well, it's hard to explain, then. You see, when I went back to Misty, Brock, and my mom, everything was fine for a while. But… well, I fell in love with Misty."

"Gast gas?"

"Well, it's hard to say what love is. It's, like… it's when you think about someone a whole lot. And you want to make them happy, and you get happy just to be around them. And when they talk to you, and you know they're thinking of you, you get a warm feeling, like you're around a really nice fire. That's how I felt about Misty."

"Gas gas? Gast gastly!" Gastly didn't understand why that could be bad; he thought it sounded quite nice.

"Gastly, the problem is that I'm dead. Look at me! I'm almost seventeen, but I still look like a ten year old. And I still have that voice. And that's never going to change! Misty gets older every day, and it… shows." Ash stopped, remembering how beautiful Misty was…

He shook his head. "We can't be together. I'm a spirit; she's a person. There's just too much in the way."

Gengar looked at him, puzzled. "Gar? Gengar?"

"What do you mean 'That's it?' That's a whole damn lot!"

Gengar shook his head. Then, as Ash looked on, he turned into a potted plant.

"Ha ha, Gengar. I know you can change form. I don't care, I'm not in the mood."

Gengar changed back, now looking exasperated. "_Gen gar!_"

"Yes, I'm watching! I don't get the point!" Ash yelled.

Taking a cue from Gengar, Gastly turned into Ash. Then Gengar looked at Gastly and Ash, and changed himself again. This time, he turned into a teenage boy, one Ash had never seen. The boy had messy black hair, eyes the color of chocolate, an official Pokemon League cap…

Ash stopped. "You turned into a teenage version of me? Well… that's kinda disturbing, but how does it help?"

Gengar sighed. "Idiot!"

Ash jumped back. "Gengar! You… you talked! I mean, you spoke English!"

Gengar looked slightly puzzled. "Oh, yeah. I forget that I can talk as a human." He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head in a very Ash-y gesture of embarrassment. "It doesn't usually come up."

Ash sweatdropped. "This would have made teaching me last time _so much easier…_"

Gengar shrugged. "Sorry. I'll remember next time."

"Fine, whatever. Well, what are you getting at?"

Gengar started. "Oh, right! Your age problem." He struck a pose that reminded Ash of Professor Oak. "Ash, you're a spirit. You have more in common with us than you think. You're no more tied to that form than Gastly is to his, or I to mine."

Ash thought, and hope began to blossom in his chest. "So… I could age?"

Gastly bit his lip (or Ash's lip, depending on how you look at things). "In a way, yes. Your spiritcould _appear _to age, if you wanted to. But you're still never going to die again."

Ash's hope sank. "Then I'm still separated from Misty. And there's nothing we can do."

Gengar was filled with pity. He had known this boy for quite some time now, and had grown very fond of him. He floated to Ash, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ash. I can't give you back your body, but there is one way I can get you closer to your… love. However, it's… well, it's difficult. Changing form is simple, just a matter of changing the way you impress yourself on the world. Now that you know how to make yourself appear and disappear to the living, form changes are just simple changes of thought from that. What I would teach you, though, is something completely different. It may take you weeks, months, maybe even years to figure out. Or you could pick it up in an afternoon. I just can't promise anything. So… do you wish to try?"

Ash looked incredulously at Gengar. "Are you kidding? For a chance to be with Misty, I'd die and go through those six years alone all over again. I… I love her."

Gengar nodded. "Good. Well… it's like this…"

Ash held up a hand. "Wait!"

"What?"

"Stop looking like me, both of you!" Ash said. "It's just _creepy_!"

The trio of Ashes looked at each other, and they all laughed together.

For a moment, at least, Ash (the original one, that is) dared to dream of being with Misty, and the weight on his soul was lifted a bit. Not a lot, mind you, and it was still definitely there, but it was lifting.

* * *

Three weeks later

* * *

Misty sighed in defeat.

"Starmie is unable to battle! As Gym Leader Misty is out of usable Pokemon, the winner is challenger Shaun!" Brian cried, though his heart wasn't in it.

Misty recalled her fallen Pokemon, and walked around the pool to meet Shaun. The girl hugged her Ivysaur in thanks before returning him as well.

"Well done," Misty said, displaying a weak smile to the winner. "You and your team really put up a good fight. It's not often a trainer can best me here."

"Oh, thank you! They've worked so hard for this, I can't believe it's really happening!" Shaun squealed.

"As Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym, I present you with the Cascade Badge. Congratulations."

Shaun accepted the shining azure badge gratefully. Then she spun around, cheering "Yeah! I got… my eighth badge!"

Misty watched the young trainer celebrate for a few moments. Her happiness and energy reminded Misty of another trainer, from a long time ago, when he received his eighth badge. She smiled a moment, until she was reminded of the last time she had seen him… She shook her head to clear it. _That train of thought isn't going to do anything but hurt me._

Misty walked with Shaun out of the gym, wishing her luck in the Pokemon League Championships ahead. Shaun waved as she walked back towards her hometown of Lavender Town, and Misty stayed outside, watching until she had disappeared into the sunset.

"Misty."

She turned back towards the gym, where Brian stood watching her, arms crossed. He addressed her again.

"That's seven losses this week, Misty."

"I can count, Brian," Misty muttered back.

He frowned. "I'm aware of that. But I'm also aware that you've never, ever had a losing streak before. And now seven in a row? And even before that, you'd been losing more than usual. It's pretty obvious that something's holding you back." Misty was tired of this already. She walked towards the gym, brushing past Brian. But he followed her, and he kept talking as he followed. "You've lost your spirit, Misty. You lose focus in battle, you get up late each day, you've slacked off on your training, you barely care about the gym… Misty, I get the feeling that if I wasn't here, this place would be falling apart, and you wouldn't give a damn about it. Something's wrong with you, and I want to know what it is."

Misty spun around to face him. She yelled, "How about, it's none of your damn business, that's what!"

"No, but it would be if you would just _let me freaking help you!_" He shot back. "Seriously, Misty, why won't you trust me? I'm not an idiot; quite the opposite, in fact. I see you talking to Brock, sending everyone else away from you two. And I'm fine with that! Everyone's entitled to some secrets…"

He sighed. "I didn't say anything for the past few weeks, because you were happy. And as long as you're okay, I can't fault you keeping secrets. But the last three weeks, you've just gone to hell. There's no outside influence causing you to be like this that I can see, so, logically, it must be the thing you're hiding from me."

Misty was surprised to see how determined he was. She hadn't realized how much he knew, and deduced. He still didn't know the key point, but he had at least seen something amiss. He was more perceptive than she had thought; she would have sworn that he was still clueless as to her deceptions.

"Brian, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." That was true enough.

He closed his eyes and nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe. But there's only one way to find out."

"No."

"Why?" He said, still not looking at her.

"Because you don't need to know."

His eyes snapped open at this, his dark brown gaze meeting her sea green eyes. "That's not true. I do need to know."

Misty laughed at that. "What possible need could you have for what I know? And how would you know, anyway? You can't know you need to know anything without knowing what it is."

Brian breathed deeply, in and out, in and out, before continuing. "I know enough. I know that, whatever it is, it's hurting you. I want… no, I _need _to help you however I can. I can't help you without knowing what's wrong. So I need to know what your problem is. Come on…" He chuckled a bit, and a musical quality crept into his tone as he continued, "Misty… 'Let me know what plagues your mind; let me be the one to know you best, be the one to hold you up, when you feel like you're sinking… Tell me once again, what's beneath the pain you're feeling. Don't abandon me, or think you can't be saved…'"

Now Misty grew curious. Why did… "Why do you feel like that? You don't need to help me. I help myself. So why do you feel that you need to help me?"

Brian stiffened. His heart beat madly. "Ah, Misty… well…" He shuffled his feet, looked around, and generally avoided her sight. "It's because… well…" He couldn't finish the thought.

"Well, you wanna spit it out? Or what?"

"Um…" He stalled. "Well…"

* * *

Ash focused on the tree.

He stared at it, trying to figure out what he was supposed to see. _You need to see beyond the tree, through the tree, before you can grasp it. _That's what Gengar had told him, almost three weeks ago, but Ash just couldn't pull it off.

"All I see here is a stupid oak tree," Ash complained. "And beyond that tree, there's more trees. And through those stupid trees are even **more** stupid trees. If trees are the secret to this damn trick, I should be world champion of it by now."

He laid back for a moment and closed his eyes, racking his brain to think of what he was supposed to be doing.

This staring had reminded Ash of a picture his mom had shown him once, a long time ago. To him, it just looked like a jumbled mess. But his mom had said, "_It's a special kind of picture, sweetie. You have to look behind the mess to see the picture. It doesn't look like anything now, but then, all of the sudden, you'll just see it."_

Ash had spent hours trying to figure out the secret. He had stared at it, looked from all different angles, he had even spent a very stupid hour with the picture turned over, trying to see the image behind it. In the end, he had stumbled onto the solution by accident. He had been looking at it absentmindedly, letting his mind wander, and thinking about what starter he would pick, when he suddenly realized he could see it. But as soon as he saw it, his eyes tried to focus on it, and the image was dispelled. But then, knowing what it felt like, Ash was able to focus his eyes backwards until he could see the picture whenever he wanted. (It was a Blastoise using Hydro Pump.)

_It's just like that picture, _Ash thought. _I'm trying too hard, like I was then. When I stared at the jumbled mess, that's all I could see. So if I just keep focusing on the tree, I'm not going to see beyond it, I'm just going to see the tree. I've got to just let my mind go free, and see what comes._

Ash moved silently through the forest, his eyes open, but his mind free. Unfortunately for Ash, his mind would only dwell on one thing when unoccupied: Misty.

_I wonder how she's doing without me? _Ash thought. _Ah… she'll get over me, I bet. She lasted six years without me, so she'll probably get back to normal soon._

_I hope._

But this wasn't entirely true. Ash did want Misty to be happy, but the jealous side that exists in the heart of every lover wanted her to wait for him, even if he never came back. Ash recognized this in himself, and it saddened him. _Whether she stays or goes, I lose either way. Why shouldn't she be happy, though? Just because I can't, doesn't mean she can't._

_But… if I can ever figure out this stupid damn ability, I'll be a lot closer to her… maybe enough to get past the rest. At least, that's what Gengar thinks. And what I wish for. I just have to get through this trial, and we'll be—__**what was that, what was that?**_

Something had flashed before Ash's eyes, and vanished.

* * *

"What is your problem, Brian?" Misty asked, growing angry at his continued silence.

Brian ran his hands through his hair in agitation. He was stuck. His code of honor wouldn't allow him to lie to a friend, not about something that important. "Ah, damn it, Misty… fine. You sure you want to know? Because… well, I won't lie to you. I promise you that. But you may not want to know why I care. And I can't untell you once it's been told. So, ask yourself: are you certain?"

Misty shrugged. It couldn't make her life any worse. "You've got me curious, now. Go for it."

"Fine." He closed his eyes again, perhaps so he wouldn't have to see her face when he told her. He breathed deep one more time, and then rushed into it.

"Misty, I like you. A lot. I _like_ like you, as we would say if we were twelve. I've been struggling with it for a long time, trying to keep it a secret, but I won't lie to hide it from you. I just… Misty, I see you every day. You're beautiful, strong, funny, and smart, to name a few things. I could keep going, but... the point is, you're, like, the perfect girl, and I guess I just fell for you after being around you so long. But I've never seen any hint or sign to give me hope that you might return my affections, and so I've never told anyone before. I just… oh, Mew, what have I done now?..." He whispered the last part before daring to open his eyes.

Misty stood stunned, confused and conflicted. Brian wondered what was going through her head, but it looked like she might be considering his words. At that, his hope rose up for the first time. _A chance. That's all I need. Please, Misty…_

Misty was remembering…

"_Misty… Don't forget me. But try to move on, okay?"_

"_Ash…"_

Brian… he was kind. He was smart. He worked hard. He trusted her, and she trusted him too, whether he thought so or not. He wasn't beautiful, but he looked pretty good. He was a good trainer, a good friend… He had his little faults, but who didn't? By and large, he was one of the best people she knew. Was he good enough?

At that moment, Misty's mind stretched out time, turning an instant into a lifetime. She saw two futures for her, hinging on her choice.

She could refuse him, right now, and stay alone. She was surviving alone right now anyway, and she knew Brian too well to think that he would completely break away from her if she spurned his advance. But how many chances like this would ever come up? Ash was gone. That ship had long since sailed. And he had asked her to move on.

But, really, could she? _Should_ she?

She could accept Brian. She could date him, and move on with her life. He was willing; he was acceptable. She could see herself in his arms: safe, warm, protected... It would be nice, in a way. She wouldn't be alone. She would have someone utterly devoted to her. Who wouldn't want that?

But she didn't and couldn't love him. Not like Ash. She could love him as a friend, as a brother even, but never like he wanted. They would go through life living a lie. And that could destroy them both in the end.

The choice sat in front of her. She just had to make it.

* * *

Ash froze.

For an instant, he had seen everything differently. It was like the world suddenly had a bright layer over it, a bright blue overlay wrapping around every tree and blade of grass. For an instant, he realized, he had seen beyond the trees. But as soon as he realized it was there, suddenly it wasn't. _Now… how did I do that?_

He tried to recapture his train of thought. He had been thinking of Misty, as usual. He had remembered his task. He had had hope for the future. He had imagined what they could do together, him and Misty, together at last, forever and ever, and his heart had—

_**THERE!**_

Ash reached that same point in his emotions, in his mind, and suddenly everything was clear. Once again, everything gave off a soft glow, a dim blue light, from a layer that shifted and played under and over the surface of every living thing.

Ash struggled to hold himself in that same state, and for a moment everything flickered, and he almost lost it. But then it returned again, and held steady. He had done it.

After a moment, Ash just sat down, entranced by the scene, trying to figure out what to do now.

* * *

"Brian…"

And instantly his hopes were gone. He knew that tone. He didn't hear it often from Misty, but he still knew.

She pitied him.

And she continued.

"I'm sorry, Brian. I just can't. I like you, you're my best friend," (_Not counting Ash, _she added silently,) "but I don't love you. And I doubt I ever will."

He closed his eyes again, focused, and forced the pain away. "That's… that's okay," he said thickly. "I understand. I'm sorry for putting that on you."

_Oh, and now he's apologizing for it. Damn… poor guy… _Misty said. She almost reconsidered for a moment, but she stood fast. She loved Ash; in the end, it was either him or no one. No exceptions. "Don't say that. You feel how you feel. It can't be helped."

"Okay. Umm… you know, you never told me what was wrong…" Brian said, trying to change the subject.

Misty sighed. "Brian, I can't. It's not my secret to tell. And I really don't think you would believe me."

He drooped like a dying flower. "Oh… okay." The fight had gone out of him. "Ah, Misty? Could I… go home now? I think I need to be alone for a little bit. Do you mind?" His eyes fell, and she could see them glisten a bit.

She nodded. "Yeah, you can go. I don't blame you. I know how you feel."

"You do?" He asked, confused. "How… when did you manage that? And with who?" He stopped. "Questions for another day, I guess. I'll…" His voice broke, and he started to back away from her. "I'll be around."

He turned, and started to walk away. His pace quickened, until he broke into a full run, running away, away from his failure, away from his pain. He kept running.

_No chance, _he thought as he ran. _Just like everything else… just another failure._

Misty watched him go, a pang of guilt running through her heart as she realized exactly what she was doing to him. After all, hadn't she experienced it herself just a few days before?

* * *

_Spirits._

As Ash stared at the now shining trees, the answer came to him. "It's the spirits of the trees. That's what I see." He said aloud. "And the grass, and everything else. Everything alive has a spirit in it."

"That's right, Ash," Professor Oak said.

"_Aahhhh!_" Ash exclaimed, spinning around to find him. There he was, floating behind Ash… or was he? Ash calmed down, realizing who it had to be. "Oh. Gengar, is that you?"

"Yes, that's right." Gengar grinned.

Ash scowled. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Gengar's grin widened, actually managing to make Professor Oak's face look scary. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."

"Ass. Fine, so what is going on now?"

Gengar grew serious. "It's a bit complicated, but I'll try to explain it simply," he began.

"Most life is a pairing of two different parts that work together: the spirit and the body. The body does the things that keep it alive, the mundane things. The spirit is the will. The body eats, and moves about; the spirit thinks, and loves. Every living thing, from Pokemon, to humans, to even the plants, has a spirit. And everything has a body, save only two; wandering spirits, and us good old Ghost Pokemon." He smirked, then continued. "Ghosts are will without form, in other words. Ghost Pokemon create each other, just as everything else does, except that we create only spirits in our eggs, without bodies. You wanderers, on the other hand, are spirits whose bodies have failed. For some reason, very rarely, the spirit carries on after the body stops working, instead of going wherever all the others go. What happens to the others, not even I know. Maybe they are destroyed, maybe not. I think that no one knows, except perhaps those same spirits after they go."

"How does this help me?" Ash asked. "It's good to know some answers, but I really don't see how this gets me closer to Misty."

"Ash, you have achieved balance. Your body and spirit are in tune. Your body may be split apart, but it has not been and cannot be utterly destroyed. You are linked with it, and so, in a way, you are still alive. Only those spirits who have gone away are truly dead. But, alive as you are, you have been ripped free of your body, and so you have liberties that those bound by flesh do not. Some of those you know, but there are a few you do not. For example…"

Gengar moved to touch a branch of a tree. He moved his hand through it, but, as it emerged from the other side, a ghostly image of the branch remained in his hand: the tree's spirit.

"You see, then, what you can do."

"No, I don't, I don't get it—" Ash stopped. He thought. And, suddenly, he _did _get it. "You mean I… we…"

Ash reached for another branch. He slipped his hand through it, but felt another within. Carefully, but with measured triumph, he pulled the spirit branch from the tree.

Gengar nodded. "That is your method," he said. "Remember, though; the body will still live without the spirit, but not for very long. It won't eat, or drink, or anything else to keep itself alive. Without a spirit, this tree would be much like a human in a coma. Automatic processes still go on, but anything it would need the mind for would remain beyond its reach. And, yes, trees do have minds," he added, smiling. "Simple ones, of course, but minds all the same."

Ash was ecstatic. "Gengar… thank you so much. I can't ever, ever thank you enough. And, hey, tell Gastly bye from me. I'd do it myself, but I've got someone to see!" With that, Ash flew away once more, but not before yelling back "I'll be back someday, remember that!"

Gengar changed back to his normal form, shaking his head and chuckling. "Gen gar…" Then he made his way back to the tower, satisfied with his work.

* * *

"So he finally came out with it, huh?"

Misty was shocked. "Brock? You knew?"

Misty had just called Brock to tell him what Brian had said. But, apparently, he already knew how Brian felt. In fact, as she said that, he looked just as surprised as her.

"You _didn't_ know? Really, Misty, I've only met Brian in person four times, and I figured it out the first one. I figured it was as obvious to you as it was to me."

"No, I had no idea! He's never said anything to me, never even hinted at anything, until today."

Brock chuckled. "Really? Misty, I never thought you were so dense. After all that time you made fun of Ash for being dense, I—" He stopped, stricken. Misty didn't like to talk about Ash right now. "Sorry, Misty. Slip of the tongue."

She shook her head. "It's fine, Brock. I'm okay today." This was the truth. As bad as she was now, there had been a few days in the past three weeks when she had been utterly distraught. Looking back, it wasn't really a surprise that Brian had noticed.

Brock broke back in. "So, Brian… well, he seems like a good guy. I'm sure he'll be good to you."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked, puzzled.

"Well, you're, like… dating him now, right?"

"What? No! I turned him down, Brock."

And now Brock was confused. "What? Why? I really thought, you know, even if you didn't love him, or anything like that, you'd give him a chance, at least. You know him well, and he _is_ good."

And now, once again, Misty was in a conundrum. Brock and Delia knew Ash was gone. But she hadn't told them that their "forbidden love" had been the catalyst. They both believed Ash was just hurt by being around people too much, and that he had simply become depressed about his own fate. And Brock was right; if not for Ash, she almost certainly _would_ have given Brian a chance. In the end, her feelings for Ash were all that stood in the way. But how to get through without letting that slip?

"I… um, I just didn't want to. I don't want to get his hopes up, make him think I do love him, and then take that away. I don't think I ever could. Not after… well, I just don't think I could."

Brock shrugged. "Well, it's your choice. I would have supported him if you'd asked me, but if you don't think it will work, then it probably won't. In my opinion, you should give him a chance, but I won't tell you to do anything you don't want."

"Thanks, Brock."

"Hey, where's Pikachu? He's usually right with you. He already sleeping, or what?"

She shook her head. "He's with Psyduck again. I don't know if Psyduck will ever figure it out, but Pikachu's sure determined."

"Well, who knows? Maybe he'll actually make that duck useful someday. Oh, and I meant to ask you. Have you talked to Mrs. Ketchum this week?"

Misty nodded. "I've talked to her every day since Ash left. She's holding up okay. She said 'As long as I know Ash is out there somewhere, I'll find the strength to get by.' But either way, I'm not letting her down this time. If she starts to spiral in, I'll be there for her."

"Good. I was worried about her. I think I'll call her today. You know, I get why Ash left, but… don't you think it's a little selfish of him to just leave his mom like that? I mean, he knows how she was without him. Us, I kind of get, since he doesn't owe us anything, and he knows we were doing okay. But I think in any case he should have considered her a little."

Misty sighed. "Brock… let's not talk about Ash leaving, okay? I just don't want… to think about…" Tears were springing up in her eyes. "Brock, I'm gonna let you go, okay? I need to be alone for a little bit."

"Okay, Misty. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's okay, I…" A sob broke through her speech. "Bye, Brock."

"Bye, Misty." Brock vanished as the line went dead.

Misty trudged to her room and lay down on her bed, crying. _Why did you have to go? _Of course, she knew the answer to that. But knowing didn't make the loss any easier to take.

She lay there for about an hour before her crying was interrupted.

"Pikachupi?"

Pikachu peeked around the doorway to her room. Seeing Misty in tears, he jumped on the bed with her, and nuzzled against her neck. "Pika… Pikachupi pikapika chu?"

"No, nothing else happened. It's just the same old thing…" She stopped, and sat up. "Well, there's Brian, I guess. He likes me. Did you know that?"

Pikachu nodded. "Chaaa!"

Misty giggled a little through her tears. "You too, huh? I guess I was the only one out of the loop. At least he thought no one knew, too." She looked down at Pikachu. "What do you think about that? Me and him?"

Pikachu thought for a moment. Then he scampered up onto her shoulder and grabbed the hat off her head. He looked at it, then held it out to her, saying "Pika ka Pikapi?"

Misty nodded, taking it back from him.. "My thoughts exactly. Even if Ash does want me to move on, I just don't think I have it in me. If I ever get over him, it's not going to be for a long, long time. Oh… I know why he left, but I still just wish he would come back…"

"Pika," Pikachu agreed.

* * *

Ash darted through the forest again, closing in on Cerulean. At this point, he didn't even have to think about the gym to find it; his heart led him straight to Misty.

Well, that, and extreme conditioning from visiting so often. It was about a fifty-fifty split.

_Just a few more minutes, and then I'll get to see Misty again! _His mind soared. His heart soared. _He_ soared. He put on blinding speed, literally: he could no longer see where he was. He just flew. And then, suddenly, he stopped. He couldn't see, but he knew. And he was right.

The forest ended right in front of him, giving way to the pools and arenas behind Cerulean Gym. Ash darted through, then floated, invisible, outside Misty's bedroom window. Inside, he heard her talking to Pikachu.

"Well, there's Brian, I guess. He likes me. Did you know that?"

"Chaaa!"

"You too, huh? I guess I was the only one out of the loop. At least he thought no one knew, too. What do you think about that? Me and him?"

Ash's mood fell hard. He was too late… she had moved on. _It's… for the best, _he thought. He turned, and started away, points of light already scattering, hopes and dreams already shattering…

"My thoughts exactly. Even if Ash does want me to move on, I just don't think I have it in me. If I ever get over him, it's not going to be for a long, long time. Oh… I know why he left, but I still just wish he would come back…"

Ash stopped.

He turned.

He whispered.

"She waited for me."

He raised a shaking hand, and tapped the glass.

* * *

_Tap tap tap_.

Misty froze. There was only one person who had ever tapped on her window before, but he couldn't be—

_Tap tap tap tap._

She faced the window, ready to be disappointed by some Pidgey or Hoot-Hoot…

And there he was.

"Ash!" She cried.

He burst through the window to wrap her in a hug.

"Misty, I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry. Please, forgive me, I never should have left you."

Misty laughed giddily, and returned the embrace. "Apology accepted, Ash."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "I missed you so much. But I just didn't want to be here, this close, and still so far away. But… if this is what we have, I'd be so, so stupid to miss out on it. Even I'm not that stupid, at least not for long."

She sighed, content at last. "I totally agree."

"But that's not the only reason I came back," Ash said.

"Oh? What else is there?" Misty asked.

"The last few weeks, I've been in training. I've been trying to learn something to let me just a little closer to you. And I know it now, what I can do. Do you trust me, Misty?"

"If you think it will help, I'll try anything you want, Ash. Just… you know, within reason."

He laughed. "That's fair. Um… lay down on the bed. And close your eyes. No peeking!" He added playfully.

She reclined on the bed, her eyes closed.

Ash focused within himself, "getting his mind and body in sync" as Gengar put it. Suddenly, he had it. He began.

The first thing Misty felt was a… lessening. Ash's hand slipped behind her head, and he lifted it off the pillow. As he did, Misty felt the light pain behind her eyes caused by her crying disappear. He moved down her back, lifting it off as well, and suddenly Misty didn't feel hungry anymore. He lifted her arms, and a spot she had scraped stopped hurting. All those little aches and annoyances on her body disappeared as Ash slowly raised her off the bed. She was so entranced by the feeling, she didn't even notice when he lifted her legs, and suddenly she wasn't on the bed at all.

"Pikapi? Pikachupi?" Pikachu questioned.

"Ash, what are you—"

"Shh, Misty. Almost done. Sorry, I need to concentrate on this last part."

She felt a light tugging in her mind, a pull downward, that intensified, then suddenly disappeared.

"Done!" Ash proclaimed proudly. He turned her in midair, so she was upright, then said "Alright… open your eyes."

Misty did so, only to see her body lying on the bed, without her in it.

Unfortunately, she wasn't _quite_ as understanding as Ash had hoped.

"_Ash Ketchum, what did you __**do!**_" She shrieked. "_You __**killed**__ me? __**HOW DOES THIS HELP?**_"

_Oh, hell! _Ash thought. "Misty, Misty! Calm down, you're not dead!"

Misty just went right on freaking out. "I am a_** GHOST! **_How am I _not_ dead?"

Ash thought frantically. "Um… oh! Remember what I said happened in Lavender! How me and Pikachu were ghosts for a little bit, even though we were still alive? That's what this is. I learned how to separate spirits from bodies. Right now, your body is just… well, it's kind of asleep. Yeah."

Pikachu ran over and sniffed Misty's body, then turned and gave a quick "Pika!" of agreement to back him up.

Misty struggled to calm down. "So… you're saying… you learned to make me a spirit too, without killing me?"

"Yeah. I'll explain everything later, but… why don't you see how you look?"

For a moment, she wondered how to move. Then she realized that thinking about it had set it in motion, and she was moving. Getting used to this new style of movement, Misty flew across to her mirror. She saw herself, but she was changed, as Ash was. Everything was shades of blue, tinged with their true colors. She took off Ash's old hat, which had somehow made the transition to her spirit, and ran a hand over her head, through her hair. She noticed that she could barely see through herself, the same as Ash.

"Oh," Misty said. "So… I can do all the stuff you can… like fly, and go around with you, and… Ash, this is great!" She turned to him and grinned. "I mean… if you can't come to me, then I can come to you! It's perfect!"

"And… there's one more thing, too." Ash gestured at himself, by all appearances still ten years old. "I know I don't really look my age, so… close your eyes one more time."

She looked at him skeptically. "Okay… but when I open them this time, you'd better not be doing virgin sacrifices or anything."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Shut 'em!"

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Fine." She closed her eyes again.

Ash focused. He had been working on this on the side the last three weeks, trying to get everything perfect. He put all the pieces in place, one by one, making sure he didn't forget anything, and slowly changed his impression on the world.

"Okay, Misty… open."

Already Misty could tell the difference. The high, almost chirping tone of Ash's voice had mellowed down. It was deeper, though still undeniably Ash. Not quite a man's voice, but almost. She opened her eyes, and gasped.

When she had closed her eyes, Ash had been a child of eleven. Now, he was a man, or very nearly one. His hair was still a mess, and those deep brown eyes were still the same, but… "Wow… Ash, you did all that for me?" She drifted towards him.

"Yeah. I figured, you know, it'd be better for you if I was about the right age, so I worked on changing how I looked. Um, Gengar helped a lot, with, you know, helping me decide how my face would probably change, and about how tall I should be... you know, all the proportions and everything…" He fell silent.

"Ash…" She touched his chest, and found hard muscle there. His arms and legs were wiry and lean, and his face was subtly changed. The childish roundness was gone, replaced by a more angular look, slightly longer.

But it was still Ash.

She threw herself around him, hugging his neck for all she was worth. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course, Misty. You've already paid me back more than I deserve," he said softly. She shivered a bit at his new voice, so close to her… So close…

"Are you sure? Because, you know what, Ash? I think I owe a little more…" She replied, pulling her head back.

"Hmm? Misty, what do you…"

She moved her head in front of his, closed her eyes, and leaned forward. Their lips met.

A word on that kiss: to a bystander, it would have looked mediocre. Neither of them had any idea what to do, except for some vague ideas from seeing other people kiss. Ash had his hands in the wrong place, he was almost frozen for the first moment before falling into it, his nose was all wrong, and he generally mucked things up. Misty was being a bit too forceful, and her breathing was terribly paced. Neither thought to deepen the kiss, confounded and dazed as they were. In short, they certainly would not have impressed anyone well-versed in "the craft."

But to Ash and Misty?

Utter bliss.

After a few seconds, or hours, or months (something along those lines) they broke apart, breathing heavily, not so much from lack of breath as from exhilaration.

"Was that… your first kiss?" Ash panted.

Misty nodded. "Yeah."

"It was… um… good."

"Yeah."

"There's… just one problem, though," Ash said.

"And what's… that?" Misty replied.

"I think you overpaid me… which means I owe you something now." He drove back forward, meeting her again, pushing with a new fervor, a searing passion he hadn't known was in him, blindly determined to make this kiss better than the last… and every other since the dawn of time.

He succeeded.

* * *

About thirty minutes later (in real-time, for once) they broke apart for the last time. For a time, they just looked at each other happily.

"So…" Ash said, piercing the increasingly awkward silence. "What now?"

"I don't know…" Misty said. Then she looked at her bed, and started giggling. "Ash, look. We outlasted him."

Pikachu had apparently given up at some point in the last thirty minutes, and had fallen asleep. The sight was so funny, Ash burst into laughter right along with her. "Really, Pikachu? We didn't take _that _long!"

Ash rose off the floor into the air, and grabbed Misty's hand, pulling her up with him. "Come on."

"What, Ash?" she asked rising to meet him.

He took both her hands, and looked into her eyes. "I'm gonna show you my world. Ready?"

Misty's eyes lit up. "Ready? I've been waiting for this for weeks! Let's go!"

He released her hands, and said, "Okay, then… try to keep up!" With that, he rocketed straight up through the ceiling, so fast that Misty almost missed him going. After a few stunned seconds, she yelled "_Ash!_" and leapt into the air after him.

Misty giggled as she flew upwards, scanning the skies for him. _There!_ After a minute of rising, she spotted him. Altering her path a bit, she sped up to overtake him. He saw her below him, and, expecting her to trail him, started a weird routine of turns and flips and screws to confuse her. Misty, however, just sat and watched him go nowhere, and when he finally did too much and confused himself, losing sight of her, she rushed at him and tackled him out of the air.

Laughing, Ash flipped them both upright. He untangled himself from Misty, and pointed around. "Look."

Misty ripped her eyes off of Ash (which, considering the circumstances, took a considerable effort) to see the surroundings.

Ash waited a minute, before asking "So… what do you think?"

She was speechless.

From this high up, she could see most of Kanto. The crescent moon hung low over Cerulean Cape, shining off the clear water, which curved around the land from the eastern coast to the far south. To the west, she could see Mount Moon, and far off on the horizon, Mount Silver. In between, all the forests, cities, lakes, and streams were visible, like a map brought to life. It was an amazing sight.

"It's so pretty…" She murmured.

"Yeah…" Ash replied. After a moment, he added, "You know, if there's one good thing about what's happened to me, it's this."

"The view?"

Ash hugged her from behind. "No. I meant this moment."

"Aww, that's so cliché," She teased.

"Oh, really? I didn't know. I meant it, anyway."

"It was sweet. Thank you, Ash."

He kissed her hair. "You're welcome."

"I have a question, though. Am I going to be tired tomorrow? I don't know, really… I mean, am I asleep? I don't really know what's happening."

"I don't know, either. As far as I know, this is the only time this has ever happened," he admitted. "Well, except for me and Pikachu. But we were only out for a few minutes, so we didn't learn how it really affected us."

"Well… I don't care. If I'm tired tomorrow, tonight is worth it."

"You mean it _will be_ worth it. There's still a lot more to do."

"Like what?" She said back.

"Like this." He moved beside her and took her hand, and they flew side by side down towards the city.

As they approached, Misty grew worried. "Ash, what if somebody sees?"

Ash laughed. "Misty, they can't see us, and they can't hear us. And even if I wanted them to spot me, you don't know _how _to make them see and hear you. I bet you can't even touch anyone but me. Believe me, we're safe. It's just you and me here right now, okay?"

Misty relaxed with that realization, and just focused on enjoying the evening with Ash.

They flew low over the streets, watching the few people still out at this time of night go by.

As they went, Ash spotted a serious-looking businessman, and pointed him out to Misty. Ash floated in front of him, making faces and yelling, to make Misty laugh. It worked.

"Ash, get back over here!" Misty giggled.

He stuck out his tongue at her. "Make me!" Then he raced away again.

"Fine, Ash!" She yelled playfully. "I'll make you eat those words!" And she gave chase.

They darted nearly straight up, Ash just barely slower than Misty.

Thirty seconds and half a mile later, she caught him, wrapping her arms around him.

"You're mine, Ketchum."

He spun in her grip to face her, and gave her a quick kiss. Then, with his trademark grin, he replied, "Just like I planned."

Then they didn't talk for a while. Or move. They were… otherwise occupied.

* * *

Ten hours later, a mile above Cerulean, the first glimmer of sunlight fell upon Ash and Misty, floating peacefully just above a cloud.

"Look," Ash said. "The night's over."

"It is," Misty agreed. "But I wish it wouldn't end."

"Well," Ash reasoned, "the way I see it, if the night never ended, there would never be a sunrise. And I love the sunrise. Don't you?"

"Yeah…" Misty said softly. "I guess that's a good point."

They watched it rise for a bit, before Ash spoke.

"You know you have to go back now, right?"

Misty groaned. "Yeah, I know. I don't want to leave you, but I have to, right?"

Ash put his head on Misty's shoulder, and she leaned her head onto his. Then he remarked, "Hey, if your day ever gets you down, just think about this: I'll be back tonight… and the next… and the next… and so on, until you tell me to stop."

Misty giggled. "Yeah, that's going to happen real soon."

Ash chuckled with her. "I kind of expected that."

Together, they drifted slowly, hand in hand, back to the Cerulean City gym. Misty savored the feeling of being with Ash for just a few more minutes, but it was over as quickly as it had begun. Before she knew it, they were outside her window, and then they were inside, where Misty's body was still sleeping peacefully.

"Well, here we are," Ash said, filling the silence.

"Yeah, I know," Misty replied. She wrapped her arms around him one more time, and cherished one last kiss.

"I love you, Ash," Misty whispered as they broke apart.

"I love you too, Misty," Ash whispered back.

Then she pulled away from him, and moved towards her body. As she put a hand on it, the pull that Ash had severed when he released her spirit from it, the tug in her mind, suddenly flared up, pulling her back into her body. She felt a strange feeling, almost a lock, as each part of her spirit reconnected to her body. And then, suddenly, she couldn't see. So she opened her closed eyes, and leaned back up, yawning, body and spirit completely reconnected.

"So?" Ash asked anxiously. "How do you feel?"

Misty thought about that. "I feel… I feel great!" She smiled. "I haven't slept that good in a long time!"

Ash gave a visible sigh of relief. "Good. I was afraid that you'd be all tired out, and then we couldn't really go out too often. But if you're not tired, then… well, you can fill in the rest."

"Yeah," Misty said with a grin, "I think I can figure it out. So same time tonight, then?"

Ash smiled back at her. "I'll be here. But today, I've got to go visit Brock and Mom! You know they've got to miss me."

"Bye, Ash. I'll see you tonight."

"You too, Misty!" Ash darted away once more.

Misty felt a sudden emptiness as he left, but she knew she could handle it. She had her love now. _And really, _she thought, _what more could I possibly need?_

She couldn't think of anything better.

And, really, could anyone blame her?

* * *

**The part wherein I discuss the chapter.**

Chapter five is done! (I imagine you know this by now, but… you never know, there could be some dull crayons in the box.)

This chapter came out much easier for me than the last two did, for some reason. Why? I don't know, and I don't care. Maybe it's because this was one of the very important plot elements that I'd outlined in extreme detail. OR, maybe it's because this chapter was pretty much pure fluff. But don't worry, my action lovers, the next chapter will be much more actioney!

Just to clarify, I DID NOT KICK ANY PUPPIES. AND I WON'T. I'm not a monster, you know.

Now… I have to say, I learned to do my research after last chapter. Last chapter, as you'll recall, was called "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". Now, when _I_ heard that song, it was by Dream Theater. But, _apparently_, they covered an Elton John song on Yellow Brick Road. And, since they were all _technically_ correct, I'll stick to my word, and say that **Steveaaml, Pokeshipper409, **and** queenofspades19 **all guessed that it was the Elton John song by the same title. Now, this chapter, there is another contest. Who can find the song lyrics I hid in the story? Tell me where they are, and what song it is for the win. If anyone recognizes it, you get props next chapter.

Oh, and I'd like to thank **Aaron Godinez**, who has very kindly offered to translate _******Of Creation and Destruction** _into Spanish! So… good luck with that, Aaron!

Now, Bittersweet Romanticide brought up a rather important point in her review last chapter. She said I… well, I'll just quote her:

"You're godmodding the characters a bit. Brian's overly fantastic at battling, Misty's gym is overly successful…"

This is a valid point. And I would like to address it. But I am lazy, so instead, I'm just going to copypaste the relevant part of my response to her.

"Hmm... yeah, I suppose you're right. But I do bring up a point of order, in that their respective 'God Mode' skills don't help them one iota in actually fixing the main problems in the story. I mean, what would it matter if Master Chief was, say, the world's greatest poet? It wouldn't help him kill aliens. Same here. Misty's gym being top-notch (which seems to me to be the logical outcome of her progression curve in the anime, anyway), Brian's battling skills (again, once I set him as a Champion, I pretty much was bound to give him those; I do keep him humble, though. And I don't give him many chances to show it; seriously, the only full battle he's been seen in on his own, he lost!)... These skills don't help them to fix Ash's life or help bring Misty and Ash together. So, in that way, I feel that I don't take anything away from the story by giving them these abilities.

"That being said, I see your point, and I think I will cut back on the praise somewhat. I can't take away their abilities, of course, now that I've written them in. But I can stop pointing them out."

I think that's all that needs to be said about that.

So… next chapter, well… I can't think of any hints that don't spoil it. So you'll just have to wait! Ha!

This has been your faithful writer, James, aka FTEcho4! Everybody please leave me a review!


	6. Revelations

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Six: Revelations_

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, _damn it_! Stupid, Mew-damned Knuckles!"

Natty stood outside Brian's house, puzzled at the yelling coming from inside.

"No, no, no, no, no, nonononononono! No… Aghhh…"

She knocked on the door.

The yelling stopped. Then Brian called out "Go away! There's no one here!"

Natty yelled back "I don't care! I'm coming in!"

There was a pause. "Natalia?" She heard something fall over as Brian moved around inside. Then the door opened, and Brian looked wildly out.

He looked horrid. He hadn't shaved in days, and his eyes were bloodshot and empty, hanging over dark circles from lack of sleep. His clothes were dirty and worn in. He looked strangely gaunt.

"Mew, Brian, what happened to you?" Natty asked.

"Well, you know, I've just been not sleeping too much… or eating a lot… actually, um, what day is it? It's Tuesday, right? It feels like Tuesday."

Natty sighed. "It's Thursday morning, Brian. You've been in here for _thirteen days_."

Brian looked mildly surprised. "Really? Well, that's good to know."

He turned around and walked back inside, saying as he went "Well, you might as well come in. No sense in standing around on the door step."

Natalia followed him inside in silence, looking around. Most of the house was meticulously clean, which surprised her a little. Then she reached his bedroom, and realized why. His room was trashed, and it was clear that the reason for the state of the rest of the house was because all of his time the last week had been spent here. Trash was piled in one corner, and food was strewn around. Brian sat down in front of a TV screen, and picked back up an N64 controller.

"So… the yelling?" Natty asked.

Brian gestured at the screen, which was showing a _Game Over _screen. "Yeah, I've been doing the three-heart challenge on Ocarina of Time… I was almost done, but I got killed by the white Iron Knuckle in Ganon's Tower, so now I have to start over."

"So that's what you've been doing for the past week? Just moping around in here, playing Zelda?" Natty inquired.

Brian shrugged. "Pretty much. I'm retro like that. This was the best I've done, but I've been getting better, so I think I'll probably get it the next run."

Natty sat down, growing angry.

"Well, Ganon might kill me if I'm unlucky. I don't use fairies, see, for the extra challenge, so half of the last enemies kill me in one hit. It kind of gets to be a game of luck around the Spirit Temple, but—"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Brian?" Natty exploded, her anger reaching its limit.

"Huh-what? Natty, I really don't think that you understand what I'm going through—" Brian sputtered.

"I don't give a _damn_ what you're going through!" Natty interrupted. "So Misty turned you down, big damn deal! That's no reason to just flat out give up on life! Can you not take a little heartbreak once in a while? You know, I really thought you were a strong person before this. But I guess I was wrong. You…" Natty stopped, seeing Brian's face change dramatically as he stood.

"That… is enough," he said coldly, silent fury in his eyes. "You, Natty… really, you do not know one-_tenth_ of the hell that I have gone through. You think I'm weak? You… you…" He stopped, trying to regain his temper. Suddenly his tone became icy and cutting, a steel razor. "Really, Natalia, tell me. In your whole life, what's the worst thing that has happened to you?"

She thought a moment. "I guess I would say when my dad left my mom for some woman he was having an affair with. That was hard, for me and for her."

He nodded. "Yeah, I bet that was tough. Probably worse than a lot people have had to deal with." He rubbed his eyes. "But you did have each other. Natalia, have you never wondered where my family is? Why I live alone? Why I quit traveling in my prime? Have you really never considered what caused all these things?"

"No, I have. I just haven't asked, because I…" She stopped. "I really don't know why."

"Well, let's have a little chat about it, then." He moved to his nightstand and pulled off two framed pictures that sat on it. He laid them out in front of Natty. First, he pointed to a picture of him with his parents. "This is me, the day I got my first Pokemon. These are my parents. Just over a year after this picture was taken, they died in a storm at sea" Natty gasped, but he didn't give her time to say anything before pressing on.

He pointed to the second photograph, and his voice softened. "This… is Diana. She travelled with me on my journey, and she's the only girl I've ever really loved." He paused, mouth half open for a moment, then swallowed. "I… I could say more, but I'll leave it at that. She died in a rock slide on Mount Coronet two years, one month, and fifteen days ago today."

"Brian…" Natalia murmured.

"You know what that's like, Natalia?" Brian interrupted, voice rising, losing its calculated coolness and control, burning like a wildfire finally set free. "Do you know what that does to a person, having every single person you've ever loved ripped away from you one by one? You know, I thought after I lost my whole family, 'Well, this can't possibly get any worse; this _has_ to be the deepest darkness, the worst thing life can possibly throw at me.' And with Diana's help, I got through it. Hell, I even thrived. But the world just couldn't have that, could it? No, of course not… so she was taken too. But then, finally, I understood how this world works. There _is_ no limit to suffering, no hardest blow, no darkest hour. The darkness is infinitely deep; the darkness is infinitely strong. There is _always_ something worse.

"Have you ever felt _that_ kind of despair, Natalia?

"Have you lost all will, all reason to keep going every day, and then gone on anyway? Do you have the resolve to do _that_? Have _you_ ever walked to a high cliff, looked over the edge, and tried for one cold, cold hour to think of a reason _not_ to just walk off? Then, finding nothing, could you go on anyway, as I did, determined to find something worth living for? Do you understand now what I have gone through? Do you understand the sheer strength and determination I've had to have not to utterly collapse under all of that? Do you see what I am _now_, Natalia? **Do you?**" Brian was shouting now, his face distorted with a boundless, frightening rage Natalia had never seen there before, but he suddenly stopped as he realized what he was seeing.

Tears were flowing freely down Natty's face, and suddenly Brian felt like a complete ass for yelling at her. His face fell, and he regained his temper. The anger, the madness, it all disappeared, and the melancholy demeanor he had displayed when she first arrived took its place.

"I've hurt you," he said sadly, lowering his head. "Please… just go. Leave me be. Hurting a friend… hurting you… that's the last thing I want to do."

She shook her head hard, tears scattering. "No. I'm not leaving this house unless you come with me."

"But I…" He started to protest, but then shrugged in defeat. "Fine. You're welcome to stay as long as you want." He slowly turned and placed his precious pictures back on his nightstand. Behind him, Natalia stopped her tears as best she could, and searched for something to say. Bad as he was, he was talking now. He was open. There was never going to be a better time to break through to him.

"Brian," she started with a sniffle, "you're right. I really don't know much about you. But how could I? You never talk about yourself… You keep everything to yourself. You shrug off every question about who you are." She tilted her head. "How does it surprise you that you're so alone if you never let anyone in?"

Brian stopped completely, dumbstruck. "I… I never thought of it that way."

Natty walked over to him, kicking some old bags of chips out of her path, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Brian, everyone needs a confidante. Everyone needs somebody to lean on when everything goes to hell. You had someone like that, and you lost her. I guess you just never found anyone else. But _I_ could… I could be that someone for you. You say I don't know about you, and you're right; I don't. So tell me, Brian. Tell me everything. I want to understand you. I want to help."

Brian turned to look at Natalia, meeting her gaze, though her hand didn't leave his shoulder. Natty saw confusion in his eyes. "You want…" He broke away. "Okay. I'll tell you everything you want to know. Um… but would you like to maybe go somewhere better than here for that?" He looked around. "At least to the living room, out of this mess. I imagine it's going to be a rather long conversation."

"I don't care. I'll listen wherever you'll talk, for however long it takes," Natty replied.

"Fine. Follow me, then." Brian led her out of the mess in his bedroom, to the relatively immaculate living room. He gestured at a set of armchairs. "Make yourself comfortable."

She sat down in one calmly, and he took the other. Brian put his head in his hands and sighed. "Well… where to begin?"

"The beginning," she responded simply. "It's usually the best place."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. But where is that? When I started training? When I was born? When I returned here? When time started? Nothing has a beginning, even if people say things do. There's always something farther back, always another story."

Natalia sighed. "You're drifting. Just… start when you were a kid. It's probably the best place."

"I guess…. Well, my best memory as a kid was when I decided to become a trainer. I was… I was seven or eight. Maybe six. I don't remember. But I remember the spark… it was one of the Master battles, the last time a Kanto League Champion beat the whole Elite Four and fought Lance for the title of Master. He lost, but still… watching him, I knew right then that someday I wanted to be that guy, with the whole world watching me, and I wanted to win. And that never really went away. Actually, that's kind of how I met Diana…"

And so he talked, and she listened. On and on he spoke, roughly at first, but soon the words flowed. And eventually, she did come to understand him. Not all of him, of course; no one can ever say they know everything about anyone, not even about themselves. But over the course of listening to him all that day, she came to know him better than anyone else ever had.

As he let everything out, Brian began to feel a certain sense of freedom. Most of this information was his alone until today. He had shared just a bit with Misty once, but not like this. Then, he had been like a faucet; now he was a fire hydrant, pulling up every half-remembered battle, every spoken word, everything he was, and laying it out for Natty to see. For the first time in a very, very long time, he was putting his absolute trust in someone. And it felt pretty damn good.

* * *

As the sun set, Brian leaned back in his chair, and said "I'm done. That's everything I can remember. And you know everything else."

Natalia sat, taking it all in. It was a lot to take. But she eventually came up with something.

"Wow. Your life has _sucked_."

"I know, right?" He responded. "That's what I've been saying!"

"Well, you're absolutely right. I've seen people who've been hit in the face with Hyper Beam who were luckier than you. _Way_ luckier."

"Probably."

"I mean… really. People who lose winning lottery tickets and then get hit by cars would look at you and say 'Damn, it could be worse, just look at him!'"

Brian started to shift uncomfortably. "Um… yeah. Okay, you can maybe stop pointing this out now. It's kind of bumming me out."

"Yeah, sorry. But, you know… there's something I've gotta say. And I think it might piss you off, so please forgive me if it does."

Brian looked skeptical. "Somehow, I really doubt that there's anything that bad."

"Okay, then." She pointed at him. "You, good sir, are an idiot."

He nodded. "Yes, I think we've established that. So?"

"No, you don't get it. You complain about how much your life sucks, but what do you do to change it? Even this little... I don't know, discussion, counseling, confession, whatever… even this happened because I practically forced you to talk to me. How do you expect your life to improve if you don't do anything to fix it?"

"Uhh…"

"I'm serious! You know, I really don't mind people who complain about their problems, as long as they're doing something to fix it. It's the people who just sit in one place and then moan about how they aren't getting anywhere who piss me off."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? It's not like I can defy luck or fate. What happens, happens. What do I do to change _that_?"

"_Anything!_ Doing anything at all is _always_ better than doing nothing! There's a very small chance that the answers to all your problems will just fall out of the sky and hit you in the head. But barring that, if you want improvements, you've got to _get_ them! And you're never going to get them doing nothing. Just think of something you can do to fix things, and then go try to do it. If it fails, well, at least no one can say you didn't try. And then you can try again. You just can't… give up. And that's what you've been doing."

Brian hung his head. "Yeah… you're right."

"Damn straight," Natty replied.

They sat together, thoughts running through Brian's head for a few minutes. Natty passed the time by playing rock-paper-scissors with herself. She was losing eight to six when Brian spoke back up.

"Well… what now? You going home?"

She laughed. "Nope. I'm not leaving til you do, remember?"

Brian sighed. "Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot." He paused. "Well, I could walk you there. It's not too far. Then you could still keep your word."

Natty jumped up. "I thought you'd never ask. Let's go!" She ran to the door. Brian watched her, then slowly got up, grabbed his jacket, and belt of Pokeballs, and followed. He walked outside to find Natty climbing the tree in his yard.

"What are you doing?" He asked, puzzled.

"I am looking for Pachirisu in this tree," she stated calmly, pushing deeper into the branches.

Brian sighed. "Natty, we're in Kanto. Pachirisu is Sinnoh native. Your chances of finding one in this region are minimal at best, and finding one in the tree in my yard is just not happening."

"Oh. Well, there's no harm in checking, is there?" She grabbed the limb she was standing on and swung down to the ground.

"I guess not." Brian looked into the sunset. "We should go. It'll be hard to get anywhere before dark at this point."

"So? Walking through the dark is an adventure! And you've got your Pokemon to protect us if anything bad happens, right?"

"Always," he responded.

"Then what's to worry about? Let's go!" She started walking.

Brian stood watching her. "Um… Natty?"

"Yes, my compatriot?" She said without stopping.

"You are walking south. Right?"

"Yep."

"And you live north of here. Right?"

"Indeedy-do."

Brian scratched his head in confusion. "So… why are you walking away from your house?"

"The world is round. If I walk in some direction, I'll get there eventually."

Brian sweatdropped. "Uh… I suppose that's true, but I don't think we're equipped for that kind of journey. Perhaps we should choose a shorter route?"

She still didn't turn. "Maybe. But there's probably a shorter route that goes this way first. So, onward!"

Brian gave in and started following her. "Fine, but wait up!"

"No! Onward!"

He ran to catch up with her.

Natty led them south out of Cerulean, through the forest. Brian had to stop Natty from climbing trees to find a Pachirisu every three minutes ("Just because it's really, really unlikely doesn't mean there isn't one in _this_ tree!"), until she finally found a sleeping Spearow in one. It woke up and, less than happy about the intrusion, knocked her out of the tree before wheeling around to attack again. Luckily, after Brian called out Komodo, his Charizard, the Spearow quickly decided that this was a fight it didn't really need to win and flew away. Natty didn't climb any more trees after that.

They went completely around the west side of the city until they ran into Mount Moon, when they turned back southeast, Natty still in the lead. On this stretch, as they approached the city, Natty asked Brian a question.

"Hey, Bry?"

"What? And don't call me that."

"Why did Misty turning you down kill you so much? You never said anything about loving her. You almost seemed _afraid_ to say the word "love" about it. So… what up with that?"

Brian sighed, and looked down at the ground as he walked. "Well, I guess it was just about failing again. After everything that's happened, it doesn't take much to get me down. But… you know what I liked the most about Misty? Why I thought it would work?"

"Nope."

"She reminded me of Diana. She was always really fiery, and proud, and strong. Just like Misty. Although Diana loved Fire-types." He thought a moment. "I never will get that about Misty. Like, she likes the cool of water, but she's so opposite of that. Why is that? It intrigues me. At least Diana made sense." He shook his head. "But I never loved Misty. Oh, I _like_ her well enough. I would have dated her if she had said yes. But to be honest, I've never got over Diana. But… at the same time, I know she would want me to move on. So I'm trying, or at least I tried. I won't do that again for a while. When Misty turned me down, it hurt, but really think it only hurt because I felt like I'd failed. Later on, after I had sat at home for a few days, I was almost…. _relieved_ that I didn't have to do anything with Misty, really. I couldn't put my whole heart into it, into her, and Misty deserves someone who can. I hope she finds someone like that."

He stopped walking and looked ahead at Natty. She had stopped, and was staring at him. "You're really weird, you know that?" She said.

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. But, then," he continued, "so are you." Then he walked past her, past the last few trees and out of the woods. And there in front of him was the back of Natty's house.

Brian was dumbfounded. "But… how… how did you know where to go? You just wandered around… and climbed trees… and… were you really navigating that whole time?"

"Yup!" Natalia said proudly from behind him. "See you later!" And she ran for the back door.

"Natalia?"

With her hand on the doorknob, she stopped, until he spoke again.

"Thank you."

With her back kept to him, she made a small smile and replied, "You're welcome." Her voice became very soft, and she added "Just… don't worry me like that again, okay?" She opened the door and walked inside.

Brian turned around and started back into the woods for a moment. Then, thinking better of that, he turned back around and walked around the house, towards the main part of Cerulean City. There was something he felt that he needed to do before he went home again.

* * *

Misty was very, very tired.

The reason for this was obvious, of course. Without Brian, she had been doing the work of two people for the past thirteen days, not to mention that she still had to battle any challengers. Natty had come by a couple of times, and she had helped where she could, but Natalia could only do so much, and she had her obligations to Brock, too. Today Natty had showed up for a few minutes and, seeing that Brian still hadn't come back, had muttered something about "breaking his shell" and had run off to see what his problem was, so there was always a chance she might convince him to return. Misty hoped so; she was tired to her very bones.

On the positive side, Misty was just about happy enough to fly everywhere she went.

After every long day, Misty would return to her room and meet Ash. He would greet her with a hug, she would lie down, and then they would travel the night sky together until dawn came. They had travelled across Kanto, flown to the top of Mount Silver, raced across the ocean, raced _under_ the ocean… Every night was like a fantastic dream, and Misty never wanted it to end.

Misty dragged her feet as quickly as she could manage through the gym. Everything was done that could be done today, the Pokemon were put up, and now, tired as she was, her excitement was growing. Down the hall and through the door, she knew Ash was waiting for her with another night of adventure. And after today, she was ready for it.

She walked, or trudged, down the hall, and stood at the door. To her surprise, it opened for her. She reached towards the knob anyway, knowing exactly what was going on. Halfway there, she reached an invisible, wiry arm. As she touched it, it popped into view, and she felt rather than saw another arm snake from behind and wrap around her waist.

"Oh, what's this I've found?" A voice whispered at her ear. "A beautiful water flower? How sweet of you, Misty."

Misty leaned into the embrace. "Hi, Ash."

He laughed. "That's all you can say? 'Hi'? You know, I worked for a good twenty minutes on that entrance. The least you could do is have something nice to say back."

"Sorry, Mr. Ketchum, but your name doesn't really lend itself to any good romantic puns."

"No? I guess not. Still, you could try."

"I'll do better tomorrow."

"Okay. Now… ready?"

"Why do you even have to ask?"

Ash let Misty go, and she continued inside. Pikachu was already on her bed trying to sleep (he had been playing around with Ash most of the day, to give them both something to do since Misty was so busy) but he raised his head to acknowledge her with a quick "Pika, pikachupi," before nodding back off.

Misty lay down and closed her tired eyes, and Ash began his work.

Thirty seconds later, she was free of her body, and she was giving Ash his customary "thank you" kiss. It was her way of paying him back for these nights. Ash would protest loudly that she didn't owe him anything, but he accepted her payments anyway.

They bid Pikachu farewell, and started rising into the sky.

As they rose, Misty asked, "So, what are we doing tonight, Ash?"

Ash thought for a moment. "Hmm. Well, we've gone almost every direction from here as far as we can in one night… except up, of course." His eyes lit up. "Got it. Straight up."

Misty was confused. "What? What's up?"

Ash grinned. "Just follow me." Ash was already rising slowly, but now he sped up, soaring into the sky. Misty followed close behind.

"Where are we going, Ash?" She yelled up at him.

"Up!" He replied. "Do me a favor, and don't look down til I say to, okay?"

"Okay, Ash, but you'd better have a reason when we get up to wherever we're going!"

"Don't worry, I do!" Misty couldn't see his face, but she could imagine the confident smile he was wearing.

Up, up, up, higher and higher they rose. They popped through cloudbanks, and past the wispy patches of condensation in the sky. Slowly, as they reached the top of the sky (so to speak), it all thinned away, until they were left in a near total vacuum. And still they flew.

After an hour or so of this, Misty started to wonder how long they would keep going. She voiced her concerns to Ash, saying "Ash, we've got to be in space by now! What can you possibly have up here for me to see?"

Suddenly, Ash looked back at her and stopped. "You're right, this is high enough." Misty slowed down and came to a stop next to him. As he had asked, she kept her eyes facing the stars.

"Now, what did you want me to see up here?"

He floated behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He put his lips close to her ear, and said "Everything." Then he turned her around, so she could see the world below.

All the wonders Misty had experienced in the last two weeks were incredible. From the coral reefs in the ocean to the mountaintops of the west, there had been many, many beautiful scenes. Even the cities had their own majestic quality at night. But none of that could prepare her for this sight.

Ash had said she could see everything, and so she could.

Everything.

Kanto… Johto... Sinnoh, Hoenn, Almia, Fiore, the Orange Islands, places she didn't even have a name for… _Everything!_ Misty's eyes devoured the scene, and soon she was searching it for familiar landmarks. She could see Viridian Forest and Mount Moon, two small patches on the land. There was Cerulean Bay, so the city was just to the left of it... There it was, a miniscule dot at this range. For a few minutes, Misty occupied herself like this. She thought she had seen a lot in the last fortnight… but there was so much more.

Ash broke through her silent wonder. "I told you I saw the whole world," he said. "And there it is."

"Wow…" Misty said, awestruck. "How… how high are we?"

Ash shrugged behind her. "I don't know. We're in space. Does it matter?"

"I guess not. But it's all so… so small. It makes me feel… I don't know, insignificant."

Ash moved in front of her. "Hey, don't think that way. You're important to me. What else matters?"

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, way to be totally egocentric, Ash. The world doesn't revolve around you, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Ash laughed and pointed at the globe below. "I can see it not revolving around me from here."

Misty laughed with him. "You're so dumb…"

"Well… you're… dumber," Ash responded smartly.

"You also suck at comebacks."

"Okay, I get it!" Ash exclaimed. "I am horrible at everything."

Misty smiled mischievously. "Well, I wouldn't say _everything…_" She moved forward, sinking into a kiss. Ash responded smoothly with the skill that comes only with practice, pulling her closer and running a hand through her hair.

"Mmm…" Misty moaned softly against Ash's lips, and he responded by pushing forward, pushing his tongue past her lips, deepening the kiss. _See… you're getting very good at this, _Misty thought with what rational part was left of her mind, before she let that too fade into blissful oblivion…

* * *

Brian walked slowly. He wasn't in any hurry to get anywhere. It was already late, after all, so there wasn't any reason to get where he was going quickly. It was still going to be late when he got there. "Still," he said aloud, "This is kind of boring, just walking along by myself." He thought about taking the quick way to get there. "What the hell, why not. No reason _not_ to hurry, either." He pulled out a Pokeball and expanded it, calling out Komodo. Komodo roared once, and then faced him. "Hey, buddy. So I know it's late, but can you give me a quick lift? Just a few minutes, then you can go back to sleep." Komodo huffed and rolled his eyes, but turned and bent down to let Brian on.

"Thanks, Komodo." Brian climbed onto his back, and together they rose into the air. "Okay, let's go!" Brian yelled. "Cerulean Gym, if you would be so kind!" Komodo silently headed that way. Brian stood up on his back as they flew, enjoying the wind tearing at his jacket and ruffling his hair. _Also,_ he thought, _this looks really cool._ He stood that way, arms crossed, until they arrived.

Brian jumped backwards off of Komodo's back, nearly landing on his burning tail until Komodo moved it at the last moment. Brian looked at the flames, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh… thanks." He held up his Pokeball. "Thanks for the ride, Komodo. Return." Komodo disappeared in a flash of light.

Brian put the Pokeball back on his belt, and then walked to the gym doors. They were locked, of course, since it was nearly midnight. For a moment, he considered just going home and waiting until tomorrow. But then he decided to keep going. After all, he had left everything to Misty for the past two weeks; it was only fair that he let her know that he was coming back. And he was already here, after all…

He unlocked the door.

* * *

Inside, Pikachu heard the door open and woke with a start. He looked at the still-sleeping form of Misty, then at the clock. He knew there was no way Misty was already back; this was just her body. His ears picked up as he heard faint footsteps echoing through the gym. _Uh-oh,_ he thought, realizing what had woke him up. He jumped out of bed and crept out the door, ready to find the intruder and give him the shock of a lifetime. He had to protect Misty, because there was no way she could do it herself now.

* * *

Brian walked calmly through the gym. Even in the dark, he could see that it wasn't at its best. He felt bad for leaving Misty for the past few weeks. As he went, he started cleaning things up. Soon, he had almost forgotten why he was there in trying to fix everything. _I'll be tired tomorrow,_ he thought, _but it'll be worth it to give Misty an easy day._ He was mopping around the pool when Pikachu found him.

Pikachu couldn't tell who the strange intruder was or what he was doing in this half-light, but he couldn't think of anything good somebody could be doing here this late. Pikachu decided to strike first. However, as he was building up a Thunderbolt, being as silent as possible to avoid alerting this intruder, a stray spark gave off a bit of light and sound, giving him away.

As the mopping person turned to see the light's origin, Pikachu suddenly recognized him. _Brian?_ Pikachu was so surprised, he let the half-charged Bolt fly. Brian just barely recognized the threat in time, and so he leapt to the side, away from the pool and the wet floor. The lightning struck the mop and bucket Brian had been using, burning them into a pile of ash and melted plastic. Brian looked at the aftermath, then back at Pikachu. "Uh, hey, Pikachu. Um… sorry to be here so late. I can explain, if you'd like to hear it. Or maybe you'd just like to hit me with some more lightning?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said, confused. "Chupi?"

Brian stood up, walked towards Pikachu and started to talk. "Well, Natty came over to break me out of my house, so I took her home, and since I was already out, I was going to come apologize to Misty for leaving her to the whole gym for the past two weeks. But, uh, I saw the gym and figured I'd clean a bit before then… but I think maybe I should have called first," he finished, glancing back at the mop's remains. "So I'm gonna go wake Misty up now and apologize so I can go home." He shrugged. "Maybe not the best idea, but, you know, she won't kill me. That'd just make it harder on her."

Pikachu started to panic. "Pikachupi pi pika chu chupi!"

"Oh, no she won't. Really, what's the worst that could happen?" Brian started walking towards Misty's room. He grew more somber, and added "And I need to make things right. I've neglected you all for too long."

Brian felt a weight on his left leg. He looked down and saw Pikachu pulling him back. Now that he looked close, he noticed that Pikachu looked terrified. "What's wrong, Pikachu?" He froze. "Is something wrong with Misty?"

Pikachu shook his head violently, trying anything to keep Brian from going in there.

"Then what is it?" Brian knelt down to Pikachu's level. "Is there something wrong at all?" Pikachu shook his head again, but his eyes stayed terrified. "Then why are you so frightened?"

"Pika pika pikachupi!"

"No, I need to tell her. You can leave me alone while I do it, if you're that afraid of her." Brian thought. "Actually, that's probably not a terrible idea; she's liable to be pissed. But…." He sighed. "I need to do this. I don't want to wait." He stood up and started back that way. Pikachu kept up the rear, even thinking of shocking Brian to get him to stop, but eventually deciding that that would make him even more suspicious. So he waited, silently pleading for Brian to change his mind. But Brian kept going, and a few moments later he stood outside Misty's room.

He knocked on the doorframe. "Misty?" He poked his head around, and saw her asleep on her bed. He noticed that she was still wearing her working clothes. _She must have been too tired to take them off_, he thought. He felt another wave of guilt. He thought, again, of leaving her to sleep, but then he decided to go the last step. _It'll just be a minute, and my conscience will be clear, _he reasoned. He knocked one more time. "It's Brian. I need to talk to you for a minute."

He walked over the threshold, Pikachu still following. He placed a hand on her arm and frowned. The Misty he knew was a very light sleeper. Thinking she was probably just tired, he shook her arm slightly. "Misty? Please wake up for a minute. I just want to say I'm sorry for being so selfish, and… Misty?" He hesitated, not wanting to use more force on her than that.

He clapped his hands.

No response.

He dropped a book.

No response.

He yelled "**Misty!**"

Nothing.

Brian started to worry. Tired was one thing, but this was getting ridiculous. "Pikachu, are you sure nothing's wrong? She's never been like this before…" Brian bit his lip.

Pikachu murmured "Pikachupi…"

Brian thought for a moment about leaving, but his worry held him back. What if something really was wrong with her? Suddenly an idea came to him. He pulled a Pokeball free.

"Espeon!" He called out as he released the Psychic Sun Pokemon. She turned about silently, curious as to why she had been called out so late.

"Espeon… I want you to try and connect to Misty's mind to wake her up. Be as gentle as possible. She's probably just tired, after all…"

"Eon…" Espeon nodded. She faced Misty, and the gem on her head glowed bright. After a few moments, though, it stopped. Espeon tilted her head, puzzled. The light glowed for a few seconds more, then stopped again. Espeon faced Brian. "Peon espeon yon!"

Brian was startled. "That's impossible. There has to be some mind there. You can't detect any mental presence at all?"

Espeon nodded. "Eon."

Brian shook his head. "No… no, no, that can't be. I can't lose… no." Brian moved over to her, grabbed her arms, and gently shook her again. "Misty, you've got to be in there. Come on… wake up! Wake up and show me that you're still here!" He let go. "Pikachu?"

The mouse looked at him sadly, realizing that there was no way out for Misty anymore. "Pi?"

"I don't want to ask you to do this… but please. Shock her."

"Pika? Pi pikapika!"

"Don't hurt her, no! I meant just a little shock, not a thunderbolt, but… I don't know, I just don't know!" Brian paced the room, growing agitated. Espeon rubbed against him as he walked, and he looked down at her. He scratched her ears affectionately. "Thanks, girl, but I don't know what else you can do." Her face fell, and she curled up in a corner of the room. Brian ran a hand over his eyes. "She's got to be alive, she's still warm. Unless it was really recent…" Driven by this terrible thought, he put a hand on her wrist to check for pulse. "One… two… three… it's slow, but there." He sighed in relief. "She's definitely alive." He turned back to Pikachu. "Pikachu… what happened? I_ know_ you know. I can see it in your eyes."

Pikachu looked at him, resigned. "Cha."

Brian nodded. "As I thought. What happened?"

Pikachu shook his head. "Pi pika pi chupi."

Brian was surprised, but soon grew angry. "What do you mean you can't tell me? Your trainer, my friend, is… is… comatose! And you know why! What possible reason could you have to hide that information?"

Pikachu sat there glumly.

Brian turned away from him and knelt next to the sleeping girl on the bed. "Misty… why aren't you in there? And if you're not there… where are you?"

* * *

Misty felt like she was in heaven.

Of course, a great deal of her time with Ash earned this distinction, so it wasn't really all that surprising.

It was almost funny. They could go anywhere—a mountain, the ocean, a dense forest—and yet no matter where they went, it always ended with Misty spending hours focused on Ash (and vice versa), talking, kissing, just cuddling with him in silence… Even here, with the whole world on display, she still found herself turning to him, currently taking the "silent cuddling" option.

Misty suddenly felt a strange sense of foreboding, like there was something wrong. She looked at Ash, whose eyes were closed peacefully.

"Ash?"

He opened one eye, and looked down at her. "What is it, Mist?"

She didn't speak for a moment, weighing the feeling in her mind. Finally, she replied "Never mind. Just a weird feeling I had for a second."

"Hmm." Ash looked thoughtful. "Weird how?"

"Like something… bad is going to happen," she said, looking away.

"Well, something bad _is_ going to happen pretty soon," he admitted.

Misty's head turned back with a speed that would have made it crick if there had been any bones in it. "What? What's happening?"

"Morning," he said simply. He pointed down at the line between night and day, where the sunrise was. Sure enough, it was just barely creeping towards Cerulean City; it was already over the bay. Misty groaned in distaste. With over an hour of travel to get back down, they needed to leave now.

"Well," Misty said, "let's go then." She grabbed his hand, and they started back down again.

They fell. Actually, because the world had moved overnight, it actually took a bit longer to get back to Cerulean, as they had to move sideways as well as down. They made the most of the time, but still, it had to end, and soon they were falling towards the roof of the gym, aiming straight for Misty's room.

* * *

_Inside_ said room, Espeon woke up with a start. The gem glowed again briefly, and Espeon recognized Misty's mental presence approaching from… the sky? Espeon kept focus on the mind, but after a couple of checks, she was convinced that Misty's mind was indeed falling towards them.

Brian, who had been at Misty's side all night, was becoming frantic. He was thinking of calling an ambulance when he saw the gem's faint glow, and spoke to Espeon. "What is it, Espeon?"

"Eon, eon, esp espeon peon!"

"You can feel her?" Brian looked at Misty, but she didn't look any different. "Why isn't she waking up, then? Where is she?"

* * *

As they fell, Ash said "Hey, Misty. You know what would be really funny?"

"If we stayed out all day, and I didn't have to go back to the gym?" Misty asked hopefully.

"No. That'd be nice, though. But I think we should scare Pikachu!"

"Ash!" Misty admonished. "That's just mean!"

"Pretty much."

She sighed, and then grinned. "I'm in."

And so they prepared their big entrance moments before they hit the roof.

* * *

Brian looked at Espeon, confused. "The sky? She's falling towards us? That's ridiculous, how would she do—"

At that moment, of course, Ash and Misty **exploded** into the room, howling "**Pikachu**! We have come for your _**soul**__!_" This certainly succeeded in waking up Pikachu, and scaring him, so they were definitely good on that end. However, it also had the less desirable effect of scaring the living hell out of Espeon and Brian.

"Pi-kaaaaa!" Pikachu yelped.

"Eyooooooon!" Espeon cried.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHO ARE YOU AND MISTY AND AHHHHHHHHHH!" _Brian calmly stated.

Ha, just kidding; he screamed his head off.

"Oh, _shit!_" Misty cursed, realizing what they had just done.

"Misty? What… what _are_ you?" Brian asked, backing into the wall. "And who is he?" Suddenly, as sometimes happened when he was under pressure, Brian's mind spun into overdrive. He noticed the faint blue they seemed to be comprised of, the fact that they were translucent, and that they were flying. The only logical thing he could think of is that they were some sort of spirit, ghost, or holographic projection. Then he noticed the identical hats they were wearing. Remembering Misty's story from months ago, he realized who this other person had to be. "Ash?"

Misty groaned. "Brian, what are you _doing_ here?"

"Well, I was originally coming to apologize for being a selfish ass the last two weeks, but then that turned into a damned bedside vigil, since you apparently _died!_" He said wildly. "Or went into a coma, or… what the hell happened to you?" He looked back and forth between Ash, Misty, Misty's body, and Pikachu.

Misty sighed. "Well, I guess there's no escaping it now." She looked at Ash, who was watching guiltily.

"Misty, I'm so sorry! I never thought someone else might be in your room at sunrise..." Ash apologized.

She sighed again. She wanted to be really angry, but at whom? She was just as much to blame as Ash. "It's not your fault, Ash. You couldn't know." Misty turned to Brian. "Um… Brian, this is my… boyfriend, Ash Ketchum. He's a spirit."

"Oh." Brian said, facing Ash and nodding quickly. "Good to finally meet you, Ash." He turned his attention back to Misty. "So… did you… um…" He was having trouble saying what was on his mind; it was just too unbelievable. "Did you kill yourself to be with him?" He blurted out, motioning towards Ash.

"No!" Misty raised her hands in protest. "I'm fine! Here, I'll show you." She turned around and touched her body on the forehead; as per usual, it pulled her in as she made contact. Then she opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. Pikachu jumped into her lap, welcoming her home. "See?" Misty said. "I'm just fine."

"Ah," Brian said. "I see." He nodded for a moment, before his eyes rolled up and he fainted. Ash and Misty both tried to catch him, but Espeon beat them to it, using telekinetic force to keep him from falling.

"Hmm… Maybe I should leave now, and you can tell him it was a dream when he wakes up," Ash suggested. Espeon growled and glared at him. Ash held up his hands in defense. "Or, or we could just tell him the truth," he amended quickly. Espeon stopped growling, but kept an eye on him anyway. Then Espeon contacted her trainer's mind and nudged him back to consciousness.

"Huh… wha… oh. Did I pass out?" Brian asked. Everyone nodded. Espeon released him, and he stumbled a bit as he started using his legs again. "I'm sorry, this is just a bit much. I mean, I knew you had a secret, Misty, but not like this!" He paused. "This _is_ your secret, right? I mean, you can't possibly have anything bigger."

Misty laughed. "No, this is it."

Brian did not laugh. "So… care to explain things to me? I think it's only fair, after the sixty-three consecutive heart attacks you just gave me."

Ash broke in. "Actually, I think a lot of the story is mine. I mean, except for what Misty did for six years while I wasn't here."

"See, things like that? I don't have any idea what you're talking about. What six years? And where were you for six years, playing tiddlywinks with Arceus?" Brian quipped.

"Okay," Misty said. "Let's go in the kitchen, I'll make some coffee, and we can explain things."

"I'd like that," Brian replied.

* * *

"So… let's recap," Brian said tiredly, three hours and two pots of coffee later. "Ash died, he became a ghost. He roamed the world, you went to the gym. He learned to appear and whatever, came back, met you and Brock and his mom. He visited for a few weeks, and you guys fell madly in love." Ash and Misty giggled at this, but didn't interrupt. "He thinks this is a curse, so to speak, and runs off." Brian raised an eyebrow at Ash here, but said nothing more about it. "He learns to separate spirits from bodies and 'age', comes back, you two are blissfully reunited… uh, then you do something stupid tonight, accidentally revealing everything to me—"

"Hey!" Misty broke in. "It wouldn't have been stupid if you hadn't been freaking out over me!"

Brian met her eyes. "Okay, Misty. Next time I find you in a coma with absolutely no mind, I'll be cool with it, okay?" Misty winced in embarrassment; he had a point there. "Anyway, moving on, you… wait, actually, I think that's it. Anything else I say will be the future. Oh, wait, I forgot. 'Then I do the recap.' Okay, we're caught up now. Did I get everything?"

Ash bobbed his head side to side. "Hmm… Yeah, that's just about everything."

Brian raised a hand. "Point of order: you two—"

"Pika!"

"Oh, sorry, Pikachu. Anyway, you three just spent…" He looked at his watch. "…three hours telling me a story that I summarized in roughly eighty-six seconds, _including_ interruptions. Clearly, you all suck at storytelling."

"Your version was boring and had no details!" Ash retorted.

"Ah. Touché," Brian responded smoothly. "But I did cover everything I actually needed to know."

"This conversation is pointless," Misty interjected.

Brian thought about that. "Yes, it is. So, can I ask a couple of questions?"

Ash shrugged, and looked at Misty. She nodded, and said "Yeah, but we might not answer, depending what you ask."

"I think you will." Brian leaned forward. "Why hide it?"

"Huh?" Misty asked.

"Why did you hide Ash? I mean… you know, I guess in a way, I get it. You told Brock, and look what he did, what with the freaking out and all. And I _really_ get why you'd stay quiet when Ash was gone, since, you know, no proof. But, still… why couldn't you trust me and Natty? Or Joey? Or Stephanie? I mean, _I_ believe you now; you've got a bona fide spirit here for me to see. Well, that, or a perfect, camouflaged holographic imaging system with adaptive AI and speech recognition. I'm not quite sure which of those options I'd be more surprised to see, actually, so I'll take your word that he's a spirit. But it would have been so much easier for you if you'd have just told us about Ash! Really, now that I know, what's stopping him from just popping in the gym to see you whenever?"

"Well…" Misty said sheepishly, "when you say it like that, it makes sense. But I didn't want people thinking I was crazy, or people trying to investigate Ash. And after I decided to keep it secret from the world, I never thought about how my friends would react, so I just decided to keep Ash to myself."

"I'm too good to share," Ash said, grinning.

"Of course you are, Ash," Brian replied dryly, rolling his eyes. "It's all I can do not to jump you myself."

They all laughed at that for a minute. When it died down, nobody spoke for a moment.

"Can I tell Natty?" Brian asked.

Misty looked worried for a moment, but then said, "No." His face fell until she added, "Because I'll tell her. You're right, Brian. There's no reason to keep this a secret anymore, now that you know."

"I don't think there was a reason to keep it hidden in the first place," Brian said back. "But I'm glad you've finally seen that."

Ash spoke up. "I'd just like to say that I was just doing as Misty wanted when I kept myself secret."

"Aaaaash!" Misty yelled. "If you're not on my side, then who is?"

Pikachu raised a paw. After a second, so did Brian. (He raised a hand, of course, not a paw.)

"Aww… thanks, guys," Misty said. She stuck out her tongue at Ash. He did the same in return.

"Wow…" Brian remarked. "You two definitely bring out the mature side of each other."

"Oh, just shut up," Ash and Misty said together. Brian laughed.

"You guys are so _cute_ together! Ah, Natalia is gonna flip out. Would you mind letting me be there when you tell her?" Brian asked.

"Oh, I don't know…" Misty replied coyly, twirling her cap in her hands.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Brian pleaded, hands clasped in beggarly fashion.

"Fine," Misty acquiesced. She got an evil smile. "But you know, as long as we're revealing Ash… why don't we have some fun with it?" She started a fake cackle, and Ash and Pikachu joined in. Brian got the idea and joined in as well, with a deep laugh that rose up and up and up into a crazed giggle. He kept going a little too long, though, and when he stopped, the others were staring at him, looking mildly disturbed.

"What?" He said. "I practice."

Ash laughed. "You practice your evil laugh?"

Brian shrugged. "Practice makes perfect, you know. Sometimes it comes in handy."

"Well," Misty said, "let's plan."

"Okay, but first, I have something to say," Brian interjected. "Something important."

"What?" Misty asked.

Brian's face tightened and grew solemn. "Misty, I'm sorry for how I've acted the last couple of weeks. After you turned me down, I just spiraled down to my worst place… I didn't want to see anyone. I did play the crap out of some Zelda." He gave a weak smile at that. "But I was terrible to everyone, especially you, since I left you to work alone for days. I'm sorry for that. I'm glad you turned me down, though." He smiled at Ash, genuinely this time. "From what I hear, you've got something here. I wouldn't want to be the one to screw that up." He looked away. "And I'm done being miserable now. I think Natty really helped me. Oh, and thanks for telling her about me."

He sat in silent thought for a minute. Then he looked around at them and added, "What? Oh, I'm done. Sorry, I should have made that clearer. So, I was thinking of a cake."

"Wait, what are we talking about now?" Ash asked.

"Scaring Natty. So anyway, there's a cake..."

"…And?" Misty said.

Brian shrugged. "I don't know. I like a plan where we get cake. Maybe… Ash pops out of the cake? Then we eat it?"

"Hmm. Well, your plan stinks. Let's try again," Misty said.

So they did.

* * *

"She's coming this way!" Brian said, running into the gym and skidding to a stop in the battle arena.

"Okay, everybody, get to your places!" Misty said. "We only get one shot at this!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, running to stand beside Misty.

"Right!" Ash and Brian said. Brian ran across the pool from Misty, and Ash disappeared.

Fifteen seconds later, Natty walked into the gym. "Hello?" She asked.

"We're all in here, Natty!" Misty yelled back. "Come on in!" She snickered a bit to herself.

Natty walked in a few moments later. "Hey, guys! It's been a while!"

"Hey, Natty!" Brian said. "How have you been?"

"Good. Y tu?"

"What?" Misty asked.

"And you?"

"Oh. Yeah, we're good," Misty replied.

Natty nodded. "So, hey, Brock told me to come here today. Said you had something to tell me?"

"No, I can't think of anything," Misty said, faking a thoughtful look. "Do you know anything, Brian?"

"Nothing important. What about you, Pikachu?"

"Chu Pichupi," he said, shaking his head.

"What about you, Ash?" Misty asked, looking above the pool and trying to keep her grin suppressed.

Without appearing, he said, "No, I don't have anything to tell her." He popped into existence, and floated over next to Misty. He started flipping over, then looked expectantly at Natty once he was completely upside down. "Sorry, miss, I guess you're out of luck." Everyone looked expectantly at Natty.

"Well, that's just great," she said, completely unperturbed by Ash's appearance. "So he just sent me out here for nothing, then?"

Everyone else sweatdropped. "Uh… Natty?" Misty asked. "Don't you see anything… you know, out of place? Different? Frightening, maybe?"

"I don't know. You've got a ghost, I think," she replied, pointing at Ash. "But is that it? Or did you repaint and I missed it?" She looked around. "I think the walls all look the same. Ooh, did you guys catch a new Pokemon? You really need a Poliwhirl, it'd really complement your gym!"

They all (Ash included) fell down. Brian shot up first, yelling "Yes, it's the ghost! Why are you so calm about that?"

Natty shrugged. "It's just a ghost, and he seems friendly. Why, should I be scared?" She walked closer and stared intently down at Ash, then shook her head. "Nope, I can't get it. Sorry."

Brian looked accusingly at Misty as she got up. "See? I told you we should have gone with the cake plan. Even if it failed, we still would've got a cake out of it. What do we have now?"

Misty sighed and ignored him. "Okay, you win, Natty." She grabbed Ash and pulled him off the floor. "This is Ash, my boyfriend."

"It's good to meet you, Natty," Ash said with a smile.

"You too, Ash!" Natty replied happily. Then she squealed, "Oh my gosh, Misty! You're dating a ghost? And a _cute_ ghost at that?" Ash blushed a little. "That's so awesome! It's crazy and I love it! How do you make that work? Do you go on dates? How did you meet?"

"Whoa, hold on!" Misty said. "We'll tell you, okay? Just let us talk!"

Natty tried to calm down. "Okay, okay…" She breathed deep a few times. "Okay, go!" She said, clapping her hands excitedly.

"I'll start," Ash said. But just before he was going to begin, he said, "Man, it's like all I ever do is tell this damn story! How many times is this?"

Misty counted them off on her fingers. "Well, there was me, then Brock, then your mom when she wasn't listening, then your mom when she was listening—"

"Then me yesterday," Brian cut in.

"Yeah, so that was five, and this is six," Misty finished.

Ash shook his head. "Mew… I just need to write the damn thing, and get some copies made." Then, with a deep sigh, he started once again into his story.

* * *

**And then there were notes!**

And there you have it! Ash has been revealed to the last of the main characters, and we are now ready for the final act of our little play! (Not final chapter, the last act takes several more chapters. Like… oh, a lot more. I'm still not sure how many more, but probably at least as many as the rest of the story, and then there's a little bit of dénouement afterwards) Anyway, the next chapter is going to set up the adventure to come, and if we have time, we may even see them off! So there you go, peeps! Enjoy.

The winners of my little contest last chapter who guessed (or looked up) the lyrics in the chapter are** pokeshipper409** and **Warlordess **(go read her story _Illicit Saints __**now**__! _Don't even finish the notes! They'll still be here when you get back!) for identifying the end part of Brian's little speech to Misty as the words to "I Walk Beside You" by Dream Theater (_not_ Elton John or anyone else, and I damn well checked this time). Good job, people! No contest this chapter, but there'll probably be another one before the end.

Hmm… chapter title… I think I'll go with _Revelations, _since Brian had a personal revelation, and also Ash was revealed twice. Fitting.

Okay, now there's something else I want to clarify about my universe. I say that a _Champion_ is someone who has won a league conference. I do _not_ mean the same thing as the anime, which calls people like Steven Stone, Cynthia, and Lance Champions. The title I give those people is _Master. _I also call members of an Elite Four Masters, but they have a little less prestige than the ultimate Master of a region. And, to clarify further, when you beat a conference championship, you get to fight the respective region's Elite Four. If you defeat them, you are allowed to fight the region's Master for their position. So, to become a Master, you have to do one of two things:

Defeat the regional Elite Four and Master.

Become a member of an Elite Four. These members are decided by a vote by the remaining Elite Four and the Master of the region, and so, logically, this route can only be taken when a previous Elite Four member retires or dies. There are no reserve Elite Four members.

It's worth saying that you cannot lose the titles of Master or Champion. If Lance lost a Master Battle, he would no longer be the region's reigning Master, but he would retain the _rank and title_ of Master. A Master is a Master for life, unless the Pokemon League actually strips you of the title.

Sorry, I had to make this clear, because I realized I had the Champion and Master titles mixed up, according to the anime. But I like my system better because it actually makes sense and makes the title of Master actually an attainable goal, so I'm sticking with it.

I'm sorry that so much of this chapter focused on OC's, but this pretty much finishes out Brian's character development on his own. The rest of the story is focused pretty entirely on the group as a whole, and Ash and Misty in particular.

Um… anything else… hmm, Twilight Princess is awesome, I finally beat that…

Oh, SoulSilver is even more awesome, but Roamers are Satan's finest handiwork…

And I've got a poll up on my profile I'd really like some feedback on, if you would. You'll notice I write long chapters (based on average chapter lengths around the site). But I've noticed several times that I _could _break up some of those into smaller chapters, and thus update more often, albeit with less material each time. Would people rather I do that, or continue on my current course of action? I like things now, but if there's an overwhelming majority of you who feel the opposite, I may switch.

Wow, I write too many notes… well, that's that!

I'll be back with more story, but until then, I shall remain your faithful writer, FTEcho 4, better known as…

James.

* * *

P.S.

Damn it, disclaimer!

The previous was a non-profit, fan-based story.

The Pokemon and Legend of Zelda games, anime, and manga are all owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoshi Tajiri.

Please support the official release.


	7. An Old Friend and a Lot of Phone Calls

******Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Seven: An Old Friend and a Lot of Phone Calls_

Ash flew towards Cerulean as the sun rose higher.

He had just spent the night at his mother's house, after visiting Brock. It had been a nice little visit. He'd told them about the new additions to the group "in the know." Brock had known, of course; Natty had told him as soon as she saw him. And his mom had been nothing but supportive. She loved the idea of him making new friends. Unfortunately, there had been a bit of trouble at Brock's place. Ash had told him all the details about what had happened. This had led to a very uncomfortable conversation with Brock…

* * *

_"Hey, Brock!" Ash said, flying into the gym. Brock was sitting in his normal position, waiting. (Misty had called to tell Brock and Mrs. Ketchum that Ash was visiting.)_

_"Ash." Brock said simply, smiling. "Good to see you. So Natty said she knew about you know? And Brian? How did that happen?"_

_Ash laughed sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, well… I was flying with Misty, you know, and…"_

_"Wait, what? With Misty? How? Why?" Brock asked, puzzled._

_"Well, you see… maybe I should just start at the beginning…"_

_So he told Brock all about the last three weeks, catching him up on all the time he'd spent with her that he'd kept secret until now. But Ash was very careful to leave out all the relationship business, at least until…_

_"So then we burst through the ceiling and scared Pikachu! And then Brian, who was trying to help Misty, freaked out. So she had to explain what happened and what we were doing. You should have seen his face, it was pretty hilarious. I felt kind of bad for him when she told him I was her boyfriend, but he took it pretty well—" Brock's mouth dropped open, and his eyes grew huge. Ash realized what he had said. "Um… I meant to say… Oh, no."_

_"You're in love with Misty?" Brock yelled. "I __**knew**__ it! I knew there had to be some reason for all the extra time you've spent there, and the love questions, and the disappearing you did for weeks…" Brock laughed. "_And_ that explains the stupid hints I've been getting from Natty about you two for the past few days." Brock leaned forward attentively. "So how do you make that work?" Brock asked._

_"Well, I come get her every night, and we go somewhere together. I can't take her to dinner or anything, but I show her things and places she would never see otherwise. She loves it."_

_"That's nice, but I mean, can you do… stuff… as spirits?" Brock added suggestively._

_"Uh… I don't know… We kiss a lot, and spend a lot of time together every night, and even during the day now… I don't know what else we could do…"_

_"So you've never tried anything… else?" Brock made some very strange hand motions._

_"I don't know what you mean. What else?" Ash said, confused._

_Brock slapped himself. "I mean sex, you idiot! Have you and Misty done anything sexual in nature while you've 'dated' her?"_

_Ash blushed. "Oh… I don't know… I never really learned about any of that, you know. I kind of… missed out on that stage of life. I mean, I know some of the words, but not… um… specifics."_

_Brock shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, Mew. Ash… Well… Hell." He sighed heavily. "I guess I'd better tell you, then. Arceus knows your mom would have a heart attack if you asked her."_

_And so it came to pass that Brock told Ash all about "the birds and the Beedrill," scarring him for life just like every other person has been since time started._

Ahh… Isn't life just wonderful?

"_Uh… So… Does Misty know all of this?" Ash asked, more than a bit shaken by the knowledge he had just received._

_Brock chuckled. "Yeah, she should. She must have been told years ago, since she should have… well… you know…" Brock let Ash fill in the holes. "She should have done her thing years ago."_

"_Uh… wow." Ash giggled a little, slightly hysterical. "That's… that's a lot. A lot lot."_

"_You okay, Ash?" Brock said._

"_That explains some of the things Gengar talked about while we were talking over body structure. Some of it was kind of weird before today…" Ash thought. "Uh… Brock? I think I'm gonna go now. It's just a __**bit**__awkward to keep talking here."_

_Brock laughed. "Yeah, I remember how it was when I learned all that. Go on, get out of here. And hey, at least you don't have to worry about a baby anytime soon!"_

"_Ahh! _Brock!_ Stop making me think that way! You… dirty-minded person!" Ash flew out of the gym in a panic, heading towards Pallet Town._

_Brock kept laughing for a long time after he left. Finally, as he stopped, he mellowed. "Man… even the __**dead**__ people are falling in love! When is it my turn?" He sighed dramatically. "I guess it's just my curse."_

* * *

More than a day later, Ash was still weirded out by the implications of all Brock had told him. Was it possible for him and Misty to…? He didn't know. Did he _want_ it to be possible? He didn't know. Did _Misty_ want it to be possible? He didn't know, and he didn't want to know anytime soon. _Let's just keep things as they are for now, _he thought. _Maybe later on, we can talk about it._

He kept flying until he reached the gym, and swooped in through the front door for once. He found Brian alone on the computer at the front desk. Ash landed and appeared. Brian glanced up, startled, but calmed down when he saw it was just Ash.

"Hey, Ash," he greeted, resuming his work. "Good trip?"

"Uh… yeah." Ash thought about Brock. "Weird, but good."

"Well, I assume you want to know where Misty is, right?" Brian stated. Ash nodded. "She's in the back, training. I think she's working with Dewgong now, something about trying to increase her accuracy with Ice Beam."

"Ah," Ash said. He had a strangely pained look on his face. "I guess I'll let her do that, then. I shouldn't interrupt her training."

"Good man," Brian agreed. He looked up again, noticing how glum Ash had become. "You miss it, don't you? Training, I mean."

He nodded. "Yeah… It was my dream, you know? And I lost it so soon."

"I saw, you were good." Brian said. Ash looked at him, confused. "I looked up your battle records," Brian explained, glancing Ash's way for a moment. "For a novice, straight out of Pallet, you were amazing. Top Sixteen in your very first conference?" He shook his head. "That's talent, right there. I think you could have been great."

"If I just had a body…" Ash said. He let the thought hang for a moment. "But that's impossible. Where would I get one?"

Brian laughed. "Impossible? Let me tell you about impossible." He turned to face Ash. "This morning, I rode to work on Dragon-back, so I could watch children and teenagers battle with creatures that harness pure energy from nowhere. That is my _daily routine._ In a world where Pokemon exist, _nothing_ is impossible. It's just a matter of finding the right kind of power, and most Pokemon have powers more on the… destructive side."

Ash laughed. "Well, that's just great. If you happen to find a Pokemon that can magically give me back my body, be sure to let me know, okay?" He paused. "What _are_ you doing, anyway?"

Brian groaned, resuming his typing. "Only the very best part of running a gym. Paperwork. I'm putting in all our battle statistics right now, double-checking the paper records against the system online. Then I have to send them to the League for verification, and that's just for last week."

"Sounds fun," Ash remarked.

"It's a damn laugh riot," Brian responded dryly. "Second best part of my day, right after the part where I let Pikachu use me as a dummy for Thunder practice."

The mental image of Brian being pumped full of electricity made Ash laugh. "Yeah… well, I'm gonna go watch Misty train. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, whatevs," Brian replied, waving him away. Ash flew through the gym towards the back.

Several minutes later, Brian was still thinking about his conversation with Ash. "Destructive… Creative… You know, there _has_ to be something…" He finished out his work in the computer, and sat deep in thought. "There are healing moves, and a few that can heal others… those are creative. They have to be, that's how they work. Extrapolating further, what if a Pokemon had absolute creativity? That might work… But what?" He looked at the time. "Damn it, I can't do this now. I've got to clean the pool." He made a mental note to think about this later, and started to go off and clean. But he was stopped by a pair of people walking through the front door.

* * *

Outside, Ash was silently watching Misty's training. Her practice was simple, but beautiful. She was having Dewgong use Ice Beam to build an ice sculpture from the ground up, using Misty as the model. It was Misty's idea, and it took a lot of control on Dewgong's part to keep the beam precisely aimed and focused, so it was her basic method of working on Dewgong's accuracy.

"Keep going, girl! A little more on the hair!" Misty called out. Dewgong held her head steady, shifting the beam almost imperceptibly over the sculpture, working out the finer details. Ash thought that it was strangely calming to watch.

A minute later, Dewgong stopped. It looked at the ice, added one more blast onto the nose, and then cheerfully cried "Gong!"

Ach joined Misty in looking over the sculpture of Misty. "Cool," Ash remarked.

"Definitely better than last week," Misty added. "The hair is still a little off, but other than that it's nearly perfect." She smiled at Dewgong. "Good job! You're getting better at this."

"Dewgong!" Her training done, Dewgong hopped and slid into the nearby pool and splashed about happily.

"So what's next?" Ash asked.

"Hmm…" Misty thought. "Oh, I don't know… Where's Pikachu? He needs some attention. We could work on his speed a bit." She started walking towards the gym.

"I could play tag with him," Ash said with a grin. "I'm pretty fast."

"Maybe."

They found Pikachu in the main battle arena with Psyduck. After seeing her, Pikachu ran over to her, and jumped into her arms. But before Misty could talk to him, Brian ran into the arena from the front. "Hey! Hide him, we've got company!"

Ash glanced at Misty for a moment, then disappeared. "Who is it?" Misty asked.

"Well, Brock, and then some kid he says you know," he answered. "I've never seen him before."

"Well, what's he look like?"

Brian shrugged. "Short kid, glasses, has a Kirlia following him around… just come look." Misty and Pikachu (and the invisible Ash) followed him into the lobby.

"Hey!" Brock called as they walked in. "I've got a challenger for you, Misty!" He ruffled the hair of the kid next to him, jostling his square spectacles.

"Brock!" He complained. "Stop that!" He fixed his glasses.

"Hey, Max!" Misty said to the boy. "It's great to see you again!"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu greeted.

"Hi, Misty!" Max grinned. "I'm finally ready to battle you!"

"He's gotten pretty good, Misty," Brock warned. "He kicked the crap out of me. So, since I wasn't super busy, I thought I'd bring him here to battle you, since we're all such good friends and all…" Brock displayed a mischievous grin behind Max's back, and Misty instantly knew why he had really brought him here.

"Sure, I'll give you a battle!" Misty said. "If you're willing to lose gracefully, that is," she teased.

"No way!" he said. "I've got a plan ready to take you down."

"Ah… a strategist. I like that. I can't wait to see how you do," Brian spoke up. He held out his hand in greeting. "Brian's the name. I'm Misty's assistant. Good to meet you, Max."

"You too." He shook Brian's hand.

Misty looked at the Kirlia at Max's side. "So you like Psychic types, I guess?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. Kirlia was my starter, and I've kind of built up my team around her. But Psychics are really hard to find, so I don't have too many yet. Only Kirlia and a Natu."

"Hmm…" Brian thought. "Well, they _are_ pretty rare. The only ones I know of that aren't nearly impossible to find around here are Drowzee, Abra, Slowpoke, and Jynx. You might try looking north of here after you leave; I've seen some Abra up there."

"Really?" He said excitedly.

Misty nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we could go out and look with you for a while, for old times' sake."

"That's great!" Max cheered.

"I'll have to go back, but I'll stay for the battle," Brock said.

"Speaking of which, I'll go get the battlefield ready if you want to talk for a while," Brian said, backing out of the room and leaving the old friends to catch up.

* * *

Max was growing worried. He was down two Pokemon, and Misty still had two left. "Okay, Kirlia. You ready?"

"Kirlia!" Kirlia nodded at Max's side.

"Then let's go!" Kirlia jumped out to face Misty's Seadra, which had already been weakened by Max's Poochenya.

"Okay, Kirlia, let's make this quick! First use Hypnosis!"

"Kirl!" Kirlia cried. It's eyes glowed, and Seadra nodded off.

"Now, hit it with Psychic!" Kirlia glowed blue, and her opponent flew into the air, crashing into the ceiling several times. Finally, Kirlia released Seadra, and he fell into the water below.

When it finally surfaced, it let out a weak "Dra…." before floating around in a faint.

Brock, who was refereeing the battle, yelled "Seadra is unable to battle! The round goes to Kirlia and Max!"

"Yeah!" Max yelled, jumping into the air happily. "One more to go!"

Misty recalled Seadra. "Grr…" She had lost her narrow lead. Brock was right, Max _was_ good. His Pokemon weren't top-notch, but he made up for it with good planning. And he had dispatched Seadra before Kirlia had gotten so much as a scratch, so they were going in on nearly even ground. But she wasn't done yet. "Misty calls Dewgong!"

"Gooooong!" She cried as she emerged and leapt into the pool.

The two friends stared each other down for a moment. "This is it…" Max said.

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Misty," Max said, smiling, "but I won't need it. Kirlia, Double Team!"

Kirlia floated over the arena and started to teleport around wildly. Each place it did so, an image of it remained. Soon the arena was surrounded by floating images of Kirlia, with the real one somewhere in between.

Misty grit her teeth. "Dewgong, use an Ice Beam and hit them all!"

"Dewgong!" The blue beam shot from Dewgong's horn and blasted through one of the images, dispelling it. She shifted it immediately to another one, and another, and so on, until it hit the real one, freezing it inside a block of ice.

"Ha!" Misty yelled. "That's the match!"

Max smiled knowingly. "That's what you think! Kirlia, Teleport!" Kirlia glowed blue in the block, then reappeared behind it.

"Yeah! Now use Confusion on the block, and throw it at Dewgong!"

"Kirlia!" Kirlia glowed blue once more, as did the block of ice. The ice lifted a few inches, then flew swiftly at Dewgong.

Misty had to think fast. "Dewgong, use Headbutt and break it!"

Dewgong jumped straight at the block and smashed it with her horn. Then she landed in the water, panting. As tired as she looked, though, the effort of lifting the block and being frozen had taken their toll on Kirlia as well. Neither one was going to be able to take much of a hit.

"Alright, Max. You did well, but we're done! Dewgong, whip up a Blizzard!" Misty cried.

Dewgong's horn glowed, and an icy storm whipped up in the gym, the wind and ice focusing right on Kirlia.

"Use Light Screen to protect yourself, Kirlia!" Max called out.

Kirlia silently moved its hands, making a wall of light that held back the storm.

The assault continued for a little while. On the sidelines, Brian, Brock, and Pikachu watched the struggle, wondering which would break first.

"Max has done well," Brian remarked, "but he's too defensive of Kirlia. He's only used one attack since Dewgong came out, and that mostly failed."

"Dewgong has way more experience, too," Brock agreed. "In a standoff, it's almost sure to outlast Kirlia."

"Cha." Pikachu nodded.

Just then, Dewgong's attack broke through the screen, and Kirlia flew backwards, landing in front of Max. The storm abated, Dewgong growing too tired to keep it up.

"Kirlia, are you okay?" Max worried.

"Laaa…" Kirlia slowly stood up, and faced Dewgong determinedly. Dewgong still looked tired, but now Kirlia seemed ready to drop.

Misty hated to attack now, with Kirlia looking as bad as it did, but if Kirlia wouldn't stay down, and Max wouldn't quit, she had to finish the battle. "Dewgong… use Signal Beam."

"Goooong…" Dewgong looked a bit worried, but still fired the rainbow beam at her opponent. Kirlia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to teleport away, but was too weak. She stood strong and took the super-effective Bug attack, barely managing to hold her ground, but then fell in a faint.

"Kirlia!" Max ran forward to grab his Pokemon.

"Kirl…" She smiled weakly at him.

"You were awesome, Kirlia. Thanks a bunch. I think you should rest for a while." He returned her to her Pokeball.

Brock gave the final word on the match. "Kirlia is unable to battle! The match goes to Gym Leader Misty!"

Pikachu jumped onto Misty's shoulder as she met Brian and Brock at the side of the gym. They walked together towards Max. He was standing bravely straight, but they could all see that he was barely holding back tears.

"You did really well, Max," Misty consoled him.

"Yeah, you did," Brock added. "Misty's got the best Gym record in Kanto, you know. Most trainers don't battle here until they have at least six or seven badges. She's way better than me."

"And she usually _beats_ the trainers with six or seven badges," Brian added. "I'm starting to wonder when they're going to ask her to join the Elite Four so somebody will finally win a Cascade Badge"

Misty blushed a little. "I'm not _that_ good…"

Max sighed. "I guess we're just not ready to take you on yet, Misty."

"You did better than a lot of those trainers, kid," Brian assured. "You'll get there soon enough."

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu jumped into Max's arms and licked his face. Max laughed in response.

"Thanks," Max said, brightening a bit at the praise. "I guess I'd better get to the Pokemon Center and let my team heal."

"We'll come with you, and then we can go looking for Abra afterwards," Misty agreed.

"Actually," Brock said, "could you take him, Brian? I'd like to talk to Misty _alone_ for a moment."

Brian got the message. "Yeah. Come on, Max. I'll show you the way, and you can tell me about yourself."

"Let's go, then!" The boy leapt up and ran off with Pikachu, Brian tailing close behind.

Brock turned to Misty. "So… where's your _boyfriend_?" He asked with a bit of a glare.

Misty paled a bit. "Oh… So you know?"

Ash appeared a few feet away from them and walked over. "Um… yeah. He knows. I _might_ have let something slip yesterday."

"Ash…" Misty threatened. "Oh, you're so lucky I can't smack you right now."

Brock laughed. "It's fine, Misty. I'm not mad or anything. Just kind of happy for you. I had my suspicions; I just never acted on them until Ash let it slip. I just thought I'd let you know that I'll be tormenting you two about this until time stops."

Misty and Ash glared at him. "You know… I _could_ haunt you forever," Ash warned. "If you gave me a reason."

Brock just grinned smugly. "You could, but that would take time away from being with your _girlfriend,_ wouldn't it?"

Misty pulled out her mallet. "You have six seconds to run. Six…"

Brock backed away slowly.

"Two…"

He broke into a full run out the door. As he ran, he yelled "Okayseeyoulaterbye!" over his shoulder.

Misty and Ash laughed together for a minute as they heard him yell at Onix (Brock's primary mode of transport) to step on it.

"You go on ahead," Ash said. "I'll go north and search for some Abra, and then if I find some I can tell you where to go once you get up there."

"Thanks, Ash," Misty said. "Are you solid?" Ash nodded, and Misty kissed him on the cheek. He laughed happily in response, then floated up and disappeared. Misty put a sign up on the door saying that she would be back in a few hours, locked the door, then ran outside and caught up with her friends.

A little later, at the Pokemon center, Brian, Misty, and Pikachu were waiting with Max for his Pokemon to be healed. Brian had been talking strategy with Max, who was intrigued by his "number" strategy.

"So you never name your attacks?" Max asked, intrigued.

Brian shook his head. "No, I actually say the technique name sometimes, when my opponent doesn't benefit from knowing what's going to happen. But usually I call a number, or a name, or even a catchphrase. Whatever we plan beforehand. I really should change soon, since Misty knows a lot of my numbers right now. Secrecy is the whole point of the strategy."

"Wow!" Max said. "I can't believe I never thought of that."

"I know, right?" Brian agreed. "I think it's just a matter of thinking outside the box. Everybody calls their attacks, so nobody considers the advantage they would gain by _not_ doing that. Actually, every now and then somebody would get mad at me and say I wasn't playing fair. I tended to ignore them."

Max laughed with him for a moment, but then became serious, looking down at his shoes. "So what did you think about my battle earlier? What did I do wrong?"

"Hmm… Misty, that's all yours. You're the leader, after all."

Misty thought about the battle for a minute. "You didn't do anything _wrong,_ Max. It was a matter of strength. Part of the reason that Cerulean gym is so powerful is that our Pokemon are all so well-trained. That's the kind of thing you can't fix mid-battle. You have to work that out over time."

"Yeah, but I still feel like I could have done better in that last battle…" Max grumbled.

"If I may…" Brian started, looking at Misty. She nodded at him. "Max, you used a whole lot of defensive techniques during that battle. You tired out Dewgong, but knowing that Dewgong was almost certainly stronger than your Kirlia—no offense—you should have attacked a bit more. Your opening Double Team was good, but you didn't use the free moment to start a barrage of attacks, as you could have. Since Dewgong had more endurance, you needed to wear her down as fast as possible, and wearing her down with a strong defense takes a long time. Kirlia couldn't keep it up."

"But… I didn't want Kirlia to get hurt." Max said. "Attacking a lot would have left her open, so I didn't do it until I knew she would be safe, when she used the ice block."

Misty nodded. "That's good, Max. You do need to keep her safe. But remember what happened? Kirlia still got knocked out. Defending takes energy, too, and Dewgong was too strong for her to keep that up forever. If you had kept up an attack, you might have kept me and Dewgong on our toes, and prevented us from attacking at all. Then you wouldn't have had to worry about Kirlia getting hurt."

"In other words, sometimes the best defense really is a good offense," Brian added.

"That makes sense." Max nodded in understanding. "Thanks for the advice."

"Of course! It's always great to help a friend," Misty said with a smile.

A minute later, Nurse Joy brought out Max's Pokeballs on a tray. He quickly picked out Kirlia's ball and let her out to follow him.

"Come on!" Max said, balling his hands into fists. "We've got an Abra to catch!"

Together, they left the Center and headed north out of Cerulean.

A minute later, another group headed out of the shadows behind the Center and followed behind them.

As Misty, Max, Pikachu and Brian reached the cape, Misty heard Ash's voice in her ear whisper "Go straight west."

She whispered back "Thanks," then said aloud to the others "I've heard that some Abra hang out west of here."

Max ran that way, and the others followed close behind him.

After running for a little bit, Max stopped, and his friends caught up to him. There was a man on the path. He wore a hat and glasses and had a mustache, and was walking with the shabbiest-looking Abra any of them had ever seen.

"Hello! Are you looking for an Abra by any chance?" He said.

"La!" Kirlia cried.

"Yeah! Where did you find that one?" Max asked excitedly.

"That's not an Abra," Brian said.

"Wha- of course it's an Abra!" The man said, flustered. "I found a group of them right over there!" He pointed through the trees.

"Aybra!" The "Abra" said.

"Thanks, mister!" Max said.

"Yeah, we could have been looking all day without your help!" Misty added.

"Oh, of course!" He said, snickering. "Anything to help young trainers like yourselves!"

"Guys, that is not an Abra. Abra do not have curly tails." Brian said uselessly as all his friends ran off where the man had pointed. "Guys?" He looked around. "Hey, wait up!" He followed them into the forest.

"Come on, we've got to be close! I can feel it!" Max said as he ran. The others followed close behind.

And then they fell into a hole.

"What is this doing here?" Brian cried. Misty, Max, and Pikachu, knowing now exactly what was happening, just sat and waited for the laughter to begin.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" And there was the trio of annoying laughs. Three faces appeared over the hole.

"Looks like we caught something, Jessie," the man from the path said.

"Looks like the twerp and some friends, James," Jessie responded.

"Hey, ain't dat da old twerpette?" The "Abra" from before said.

"Who the hell are you three?" Brian asked, confused.

"Hey, I don't recognize that one, Jessie," James said.

"Looks like the kid made a new friend," Jessie answered. "So let's start the introductions!"

They jumped back, and Brian, Misty, and Max leapt up and barely poked their heads out of the top of the pit.

"Prepare for trouble, it's a blast from the past!" Jessie began.

"Make it double, we're winning at last!" James chimed in.

"Oh, Mew…" Misty sighed. "Not this again."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

The man and the "Abra" threw off their now-obvious costumes, revealing a white outfit with a red "R" on the chest and a Meowth. The two villains struck a pose back to back.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

There was a moment of silence after they had finished.

"Wow!" Brian yelled. "A talking Meowth! That's _way_ better than an Abra! Where did you get him?"

The trio was steamed. "Hey, twerp!" Jessie yelled. "Show Team Rocket a little respect!"

"Team Rocket! What are you three doing here?" Misty yelled.

"They've been following me around ever since I started training, trying to steal Kirlia!" Max explained angrily.

"That's right, and it looks like we're finally going to get Pikachu, too!" James laughed.

"Wait… so they're bad guys?" Brian asked, confused. "But what was all that stuff about protecting the world and uniting people?"

"That's just their motto. It makes no sense," Misty said.

"Oh. So… I still don't quite get it. They made us fall in a hole? Is that their plan?" Brian asked. "Because that's a really crappy plan."

"Hey, shut up!" James yelled. "The hole was just phase one of the plan!"

"And here's phase two!" Meowth added. He pulled out a remote and hit the extremely cliché big red button on it. Out of the bushes next to the hole, two robotic hands popped out and grabbed Pikachu and Kirlia.

"Pikachupi!"

"Kirla!"

Misty and Max jumped for their Pokemon as they were pulled out of the pit, but they fell short.

"Pikachu!" Misty cried.

"Hang on, Kirlia! We're coming!" Max called to his Pokemon.

"First thing, let's get out of here," Brian said. Misty and Max nodded. Brian and Max lifted Misty out. She was able to pull up Max, and together they got Brian out. But by the time they had accomplished all of that, Team Rocket had locked up Pikachu and Kirlia and were flying away in their Meowth-themed balloon.

"They're getting away!" Max cried. "We've got to follow them!"

"Then we'll follow them," Brian said. He pulled out two Pokeballs. "Slifer! Komodo!" The Dragonite and Charizard stood and roared. "We need to fly, and fast! Some thieves took Pikachu and Max's Kirlia!"

Brian's two dragons roared their displeasure. Moving quickly, Misty jumped on Komodo's back. "Max, go with Brian on Slifer!" She ordered.

"Wow! You have a Dragonite?" Max admired the Dragon-type.

"Not the time, kid! Let's go!" Brian helped Max onto Slifer, then jumped on behind him. The whole group took off and flew after Team Rocket.

On the balloon, Pikachu and Kirlia were trying to escape from the box they were in, Kirlia by trying to break it or teleport out, and Pikachu by shocking it apart. Neither one worked.

"Ha! Fight all you want, that box is escape-proof!" Jessie crowed.

"And you should know we make everything resist electricity since we met you, Pikachu!" James taunted.

"Quit yappin' and drive this thing! We're almost home free!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Um… Jessie. What are those things?" James asked, pointing towards two shapes rapidly flying towards them.

She looked, then grit her teeth. "Grr… Looks like the twerps got wings."

"Then clip 'em, and let's go!" Meowth ordered.

"Stop bossing us around, Meowth!" Jessie complained. "We know what to do!"

Brian, Misty, and Max flew up and landed on either side of them.

"Let's pop this balloon!" Brian yelled.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Jessie laughed. "Unless you want your Pokemon to take the fall!"

"She's right! We've got to rescue Pikachu and Kirlia first!" Max cried.

"Not if we can help it! Go, Yanmega!" Jessie sent out the large, dark-green Bug-type at Brian's Dragonite.

"Use Sludge, Weezing!" James called, releasing his own Poison Pokemon.

"Weezing!" Weezing shot several bursts of dark purple gunk at Komodo, who had to bob and weave to avoid them.

"AncientPower, Yanmega!" Jessie ordered. Yanmega built up the ball of silver light and fired it at Slifer.

"Ha! As if! Break through it with a Hyper Beam!" Brian commanded.

"No!" Max screamed, cutting Slifer short. "You might hit the balloon!"

"Oh, hell, he's right! Just dodge it, Slifer!" Slifer dropped below the attack, jostling his riders.

"Ughhh… Flying is less fun than I imagined," Max groaned.

Team Rocket's Pokemon kept up the attack, with their opponents only able to dodge for fear of hitting the balloon and hurting the captured Pokemon inside.

"Yeah, keep it up! You've got 'em on da ropes!" Meowth cheered. Jessie and James just grinned and kept up the attack, feeling things finally going their way for once.

Unnoticed by the trio in the balloon, the box started to move a little, seemingly of its own accord. The lock on it rattled for a moment. Pikachu and Kirlia looked curiously at the movement. After a few seconds, the lock popped open. The door fell off, and Kirlia and Pikachu were free. They jumped to the sides of the balloon.

On the sides, Slifer and Komodo were growing tired. "We can't keep this up forever!" Misty yelled.

"I know, but we can't let them get away, and we can't get closer!" Brian answered, frustrated.

"Look!" Max pointed to the balloon. "Is that…?"

"Pikachu and Kirlia!" Misty and Brian finished together.

"_Whaaaa?" _Team Rocket cried, seeing their captives freed.

"Pikachu, Kirlia! Jump, and we'll catch you!" Max yelled at the balloon.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu jumped for Misty. She flew down and caught him.

"Gotcha!" Misty cried triumphantly, hugging Pikachu close.

"Kirlia!" Kirlia, rather than jumping, decided to teleport the distance between them. She glowed blue, vanished, and reappeared in Max's arms.

"Kirlia!" Max echoed Misty's gesture across the sky.

"Aaaugh! Get them back!" Jessie ordered. "Knock them out of the air, Yanmega!"

"You too, Weezing!"

"You morons! Without da Pokemon, what's ta' keep dem from attacking _us_?" Meowth yelled.

Max, Misty, and Brian grinned at the Team.

"Let's send 'em packing! Kirlia, Psychic!"

"Charizard, use Flamethrower! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Slifer, Hyper Beam!"

The four attacks converged on Weezing and Yanmega, pushing them back into Team Rocket. There was an enormous explosion as they all hit the balloon together, sending Team Rocket high into the sky.

"Our blast from the past ended with a whimper," Jessie complained as they flew away.

"The more things change, the more things stay the same," James added glumly.

"But how did they get out of the box?" Meowth wondered.

"It's a bit late for hindsight, Meowth!" Jessie yelled.

And together they cried, "Because it looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaaaaaain!"

_Ding!_

* * *

A couple of hours later, they were standing outside the Gym with Max.

"Thanks for helping me out, you guys!" Max said, holding the Pokeball with his newly caught Abra inside.

"Kir!" Kirlia chimed in.

"Good luck in Kanto, kid," Brian said.

"So where are you headed off to now, Max?" Misty asked.

"Saffron City. That's where Sabrina is, right? The Psychic leader?"

Misty nodded. "That's right. You're going to ask her for some advice?"

Max looked at the Pokeball he held, and then at Kirlia. "Yeah. I want my Pokemon to be the best, and she's the best with Psychics."

"Good thinking," Brian said.

"I'd better get going, then," Max said. "I'll be back for a rematch later!"

"I'll be here waiting." Misty grinned. "And I'll beat you again!"

"No way!" Max responded. "I'm gonna be the best trainer ever!" He started walking off with Kirlia, waving over his shoulder as he went. "See you later!"

"Goodbye, kid!"

"Pi ka!"

"See you soon, Max!"

They waved at him until he disappeared into the distance.

"What a nice boy," Brian noted.

"Yeah. He'll do well," Misty said.

Out of the air, they heard Ash's voice. "Is no one going to thank me for saving the day back there?" He appeared next to Misty.

"So that was you who let out Pikachu and Kirlia?" Misty asked.

"Well, obviously. Who else could have done it?"

"Thank you for saving them, Ash," Misty said.

"Pika Pikapi!" Pikachu thanked him as well.

"And?" Ash said expectantly.

"_And_ thank you for finding Abra," Misty added, rolling her eyes.

"You're welcome," Ash said with a smile.

Brian looked at the sun hanging low in the sky. "Hey, Misty? Would you mind if I knocked off early today? I need to visit the library."

Misty glanced at him. "Sure. But why?"

He smiled. "I'm really not sure yet. If I was, I wouldn't need to go." He started walking away. "See you tomorrow!"

Misty and Ash were left alone.

"So that was Max?" Ash asked.

"Yep." Misty answered. "I guess he finally got his license." She laughed. "He was so sure of himself. He definitely reminded me of someone else I used to know."

"Who?"

"You, Ash!" Misty said, still laughing. She nudged him a bit. "He actually said 'I'm gonna be the best trainer ever!' That has you written all over it."

Ash shrugged sadly. "Once, maybe. Not anymore."

"Oh…" Misty wished she had held her tongue. "Sorry, Ash."

"It's okay," he responded.

They stood peacefully together and watched the as the sun finished its cycle, and the world shifted into twilight.

* * *

The next two weeks passed mostly without incident. But Ash and Misty noticed something odd with Brian, who nearly always seemed to be carrying a book with him. Whenever they asked him what he was doing, he would just say "Research." Misty found a couple of his books one day, but they were just a research paper on healing Pokemon moves and a book of Sinnoh myths. Misty couldn't understand what it meant. One day he actually requested a day off, saying he needed to go to Pallet Town and see Professor Oak about his "research".

The next day, Brian didn't show up at the Gym at all. Instead, he called Misty.

"Misty, come here!" Brian yelled as soon as she picked up the line.

"What? Where? Why?"

"What? Come here. Where? My house. Why? Because I'm done with my research and you need to see! And bring Ash and Pikachu! See you soon!" He hung up.

"Wait, what? Brian!" Misty slammed the phone down. "Insensitive little… I shouldn't go. I should just let him sit there and… darn it, but I want to know!"

Misty ran through the gym, finding Ash and Pikachu. She told them about the call, and they both wanted to go see what it was about. Pikachu jumped into her bicycle, and they rode across the town to Brian's house, Ash flying beside them.

"What do you think it is?" Ash wondered as they rode through the middle of town.

"I don't have any idea. And how many times do I have to tell you not to talk to me in public!" Misty said through her teeth.

"Sorry." Ash stayed quiet the rest of the way.

When they arrived, they found Natty in the tree outside waiting on them.

"Finally!" She sighed, and climbed down. "We've been waiting forever!"

"Who is we?" Misty asked.

"Me, Brock, and Brian," she answered.

"Brock's here too? Why?" Ash asked.

"We don't know. He won't tell us. He said something about a sofa meeting earlier, but we kind of ignored that."

Misty opened the door, and Natty yelled "They're here!"

"Great! Come on back!" She heard Brian answer.

They followed his voice back into the living room, where Brian had several chairs set up. One of them held Brock, who was watching Brian work on setting up a projector system with a laptop attached to it. As the others entered, Brock looked at them. "Hey. Anyone else know what's going on?" Brock asked.

"No, no one should know," Brian answered for them. "Everybody sit down, I'll explain."

Misty and Ash took a long couch together with Pikachu in Misty's lap, and Natty sat down with Brock.

Brian opened a program on his computer, and the projector suddenly displayed a blank white screen. "Okay," he started. "I've called this meeting of the SOFOA to—"

Misty interrupted him. "Sofa? What the hell is that?"

"The Society of Friends of Ash," Brian explained. "Anyway, I'm going to explain everything I've learned over the past two weeks. So… I was talking to Ash the day Max came around, and I mentioned something about Pokemon being able to create things."

"Like what? Like the water for a Water Gun?" Brock asked.

"Well, that too, but more specifically I mean Pokemon that can learn completely creative techniques. Like Recover and Softboiled, or you could even say Protect or Light Screen or Safeguard. Most Pokemon use actual attacking techniques, you know, Flamethrower and Hyper Beam and all that. But a few, like Chansey and Blissey, specialize in healing and helping, rather than damaging something to protect themselves. Now… you know that there are Pokemon with way more powerful destructive attacks than others. You met Mewtwo." He looked especially at Ash, Misty, and Brock. "Most Pokemon aren't nearly that powerful. But he was, as I say, destructive, not creative. So I was thinking about that, and I started wondering; is there a Pokemon that has that kind of creative power? The ability to make _anything_? Gold, food, other Pokemon, energy… a new body…"

Suddenly, everything was made clear, and they all realized exactly what Brian was researching. He was trying, in his own way, to save Ash, to bring him back to his old life. The presentation instantly became far more interesting.

So… I researched. I went through books and more books, and I searched the web, and in the end I came up with a few options." He clicked a key on the laptop, and the projector displayed a Mew. "Mew is considered the ancestor of Pokemon, and by some even the ancestor of humanity. It _might_ be creative, but very, very little is known about it, and no one even knows where to begin to look. Also… there was a Mew there with Mewtwo. If it could heal Ash, wouldn't it have done it there? I assumed it could not, so I kept looking."

He clicked again. "Next, I found Celebi. Celebi is supposed to be able to travel through time. But that option seems to be a paradox. We can't have used Celebi to get Ash from the past, because you saw him destroyed. And if we rescue Ash and it changes the present… what will we have saved? Nothing we know. The risk is catastrophic. So I kept that option open as a last resort, but otherwise moved on."

Click. It showed a vaguely star-shaped Pokemon. "Jirachi. It's said that it appears every thousand years and will grant any wish. However… it appears that Jirachi appeared not too long ago in Hoenn. If only we had known… but the Millennium Comet that seems to herald Jirachi's arrival is long gone. And out of all of us, only Ash could possibly wait out the thousand years until the next comet arrives. So, Ash, you up for waiting a millennium?"

Ash laughed a little. "Well, if that's the only option, but do you have anything shorter term?"

"I do, as a matter of fact." He started clicking through images rapidly, ancient drawings and even some photographs whirling by: Ho-oh, Entei, the Regis, the Dragons of Sinnoh… "There are a whole lot of legendary Pokemon with immense power, but none so powerful as the mythical Pokemon of Sinnoh. And of those, only one is truly, completely creative in nature. Which brings me to the last, and best option." Click. "Arceus."

The whole room was filled with a cry of "**What?**" from Brock and Misty, the only two who had heard of Arceus as something other than a minor curse.

"Yeah, I know how crazy it is!" Brian said, holding up his hands. "Bear with me!" He took a breath. "All the research I've done—and I've done a _lot_—has told me that there is no creative force in this universe like Arceus. He's said to have created _everything_. He created life. If he could do all of that, then making a new body for Ash should be cake for him."

"I've got three things to say to you," Misty said. "One, that's completely insane, two, that's completely insane_, _and three, _that's completely Mewdamned insane!_ How can we even _find_ Arceus?"

"All the Sinnoh legends I've found say that he can be summoned to Spear Pillar, which is somewhere near the top of Mount Coronet," Brian replied.

Misty faltered for a moment, but Brock pressed on. "Well, even if we could find him, how could we get him to do this for Ash?"

"I…" Brian paused. "I have no idea. If he's benevolent, he might just do it if we ask nicely, but if not… well, we're no worse off." _Unless he's actually __**malevolent**__… _Brian kept that particular thought to himself.

"And do you just expect us to get up and walk out of our lives to go on this crazy search?" Misty asked.

"For Ash? Yes, I kind of expected that you would."

Misty stopped at that. She turned and looked at Ash for a few long seconds before saying, "You know, you're right about that… if there was a chance, I would."

Brock and Ash both stared at Misty. "You're not really considering this, are you?" Brock asked.

"I am!" Natty said. She shot up to stand beside Brian. "We won't get anywhere doing nothing, after all."

"She's right," Misty replied. "If we have a shot, a real shot, at bringing Ash back, and I mean completely back… shouldn't we at least _try_?"

"I talked to Professor Oak about Arceus' abilities yesterday, and he called a researcher named Cynthia in Sinnoh about it," Brian explained.

"Wait, Cynthia? As in Cynthia, Master of the Sinnoh League?" Brock exclaimed.

"The one and only. She's actually researching Arceus right now, and she agrees that Arceus can definitely create a body—apart from creating all that is, which should be a dead giveaway in any case, Arceus is believed to have specifically created the Sinnoh Three: Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina. That's your proof of concept right there."

"Then there's a chance?" Brock said, still sounding unsure.

"A slim one, perhaps, but it's there," Brian assured him. "If we can find him at all, we're practically done."

"Well…" Misty said. "What do you think, Ash? You haven't said anything for a while, and this is really for your sake."

Ash sat for a few minutes, all eyes focused on him. Then he spoke.

"I… I'm happy where I am now. I love Misty, and I have all of you, too. And I don't want to be a burden for all of you to carry." He looked around at them. "But, at the same time… I want my life back. I want to be a trainer. I want to run and sleep and eat 'til I'm sick and be hurt and go see the world and change things instead of just looking at them." He closed his eyes. "I wanna live again." Pikachu moved into Ash's lap and tried to nuzzle against him, but Ash was lost in his own world.

Misty gazed at Ash, and she felt saw how hurt he still was. Then she started thinking. She thought about the chance that Ash might really be sitting next to her someday, body and soul. That Ash might be able to meet her sisters. That she could go on a real date with him, that they could meet people together, as a couple. That one day she could walk down an aisle and meet him at the other end...

"I'm going," Misty declared, her mind made up. "Whether anyone else does or not, I think we have to try."

"Then I'm with you," Ash said, opening his eyes and looking into hers. He smiled, then said, "After all, I can't really stay behind if anyone goes, anyway."

"You think I'm gonna sit back and watch you profit from my research? Ha. I'm coming too," Brian said.

"In Sinnoh, I can finally catch a Pachirisu! I'm in!" Natty cheered.

"Pi Pikapi chu!" Pikachu said, nodding.

The five of them looked expectantly at Brock.

"You're all insane," Brock said, looking around. "You're going to be chasing myths and legends, and even _if_ you find them, you still probably won't get Ash a body. This has as much chance of succeeding as I do of being crowned Miss Kanto. And…" He sighed. "I can't let you do it without me there to see. Count me in."

"Woo! Score one for scientific inquiry!" Brian cheered.

"Wait… who's going to watch the Gyms while we're gone?" Ash asked to Misty and Brock.

They looked at each other. Brock had an answer ready. "I don't think Flint will mind filling in, depending on how long we take. If it's a few months, that's probably fine. But any longer, and he'll be itching to get away. And I'll have to find somebody to run the breeding center, but that's just a matter of hiring someone, since it doesn't matter who does it."

Misty was completely at a loss. She had no family other than her sisters, and she hardly knew where they were half the time. "I could ask my sisters, but I really doubt that they'd be willing to do it themselves." She looked at Brian. "If you weren't going, I'd ask you to do it." She sighed. "I could appeal to the league for a temporary leader, but it might take a long time to get approved, and I don't think I could get more than a couple of weeks without finding somebody myself. This doesn't sound like the kind of thing that will take weeks."

"No… we're looking at a couple of months, at least," Brian agreed. "Unless we get really, really lucky."

"I'll start looking today," Misty said. "Maybe we'll get lucky with my sisters."

Brock snickered behind her back. "Maybe we will. That'd be good with me."

"**Brock!**" Misty yelled at him. "Not about my family!"

"But they're _hot_!" he whined.

"They are not!" She argued back.

"Yes they are!"

"No they aren't!"

Natalia, of all people, was the one to settle things. "Brock! Stop thinking like that about Misty's sisters. Misty! Your sisters are hot. Deal with it. Now stop fighting and go start making calls!"

The room was silent for a moment, then Misty and Brock shuffled abashedly away.

Ash sighed happily. "Now that's the Misty I remember. It's nice to see her like that again."

Brian laughed. "What, pissed off and showing it?"

"Pretty much. Reminds me of the old days, when we would argue for hours about anything. She was too stubborn to stop, and I was too stubborn to admit that she was usually right."

"Sounds like a match made in hell," Natty quipped.

"It's still a match," Ash replied.

Brian walked out of the room. "As fun as this is, I have my own things I need to get ready if I'm going to be gone for a long time. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Natty sat down next to Ash. "So…" she said. "There's something I've wanted to ask you. What's it like to fly?"

Ash sighed. "It's great. You don't realize how much the ground holds you back until it doesn't anymore. Like, right now, I could just go. And flying fast is really fun, especially when you have someone to do it with." He thought of all the nights with Misty. "It's probably the thing I'll miss the most if I ever do get a body. That and the sunrises. I'll probably sleep through them all again."

"Well, that response was vague as hell," Natty said, rolling her eyes. She stood up. "I should go tell my mom what we're planning. She probably wouldn't appreciate me disappearing for a couple of months."

"Good luck," Ash replied. Natalia walked out, leaving Ash alone with Pikachu.

* * *

Brock set the phone down. "Okay, Misty. Your turn." He had talked to Flint, who had pretty quickly agreed to watch the gym while Brock was absent. Brock still needed to find a breeder, but that would probably take a few days of looking.

Misty picked up the phone and called her sisters' manager so she could get their number, wherever they were this week.

"Hello, this is Martin Bil—oh, Ms. Waterflower! What an odd coincidence!"

"Hi, Martin. I need to get my sisters' hotel number from you. Can you tell me where they are this week? And what's the coincidence?"

Martin turned on the video feed on his phone, and he appeared on the screen. Misty put the receiver down as he started to speak. "Well, your sisters are right here, and the coincidence is that I was just about to call you!"

"Hi, Misty!" She heard Daisy and Lily in the background.

"What are they doing in Celadon?" Misty asked. "Aren't they touring in Hoenn right now?"

"Ah. Well, they were, but we've had a bit of an accident." He reached for the camera, turning it around to face her sisters. They were seated in front of his desk. Daisy and Lily were sitting around a very gloomy Violet. Misty could see why. Violet's chair had crutches propped against it, and one of her legs was in a cast. Martin spoke from out of view. "Violet took a little fall at a show a few days ago, and she's broken her leg. It's nothing serious, just a bad break, but the doctors have recommended that she stay off of it for six to eight weeks to let it heal. We were just having a discussion about what to do with their schedule. Of course, the last few stops on this tour had to be cancelled. We can't have the Sensational Sisters show one sister short. I was just about to call you, because they want to know if there is still a place for them at the gym."

"We'll help out and everything!" Daisy promised quickly. "Like, we just need a place to stay while Violet heals, and it'd be such a big mess to buy, like, a whole new house!"

Misty laughed at her good fortune. "Of course you can come! But there's something I want to ask you first. I've been at the gym for a long time now, and I want to go on a… vacation to Sinnoh for a month or two. Do you think maybe that you can take care of the Gym until I get back?"

"Oh… will we have to, like, battle people? You know how much we hate having to do that…" Lily said uneasily.

Misty nodded, her spirits falling a bit. "Yeah, you would… but won't you? Please? I haven't got to leave in a long time, and you've been out seeing the world. I'm not asking you to stay forever, just for a couple of months."

Daisy looked at her two sisters and talked to them. "She's right. We really haven't been fair to her. I think we should." Lily hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Violet just sulked and gave a little grunt of acknowledgement. But it didn't take more than two people to run the gym anyway, and Misty was sure that Violet would be better after a few weeks of relaxing.

"Are you sure about this, ladies?" Martin asked them.

"We owe Misty for taking care of the gym for so long," Lily said. "And some time out of the spotlight will be good for us, too."

"Well, then that settles things nicely!" Martin said, turning the camera back towards himself. "I've got some details to hammer out with your sisters, so unless you have more to say…"

"No, everything is fine," Misty responded. To her sisters, she added "Goodbye! I'll see you soon!"

She heard a chorus of goodbyes, and the line went blank. Misty grinned, and turned away from the phone. Ash, Brock, and Brian were watching her. "That was insanely lucky. I expected to fight them for hours and come up with nothing," she said. "I never thought I would be glad that my sister broke her leg."

"Things have definitely worked out well so far. It's like the universe is telling us that I was right all along," Brian said smugly.

WHAM!

And then he was on the ground. Misty put her mallet away.

Brian just sat, wondering what possessed him to stay around her.

"_Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!"_

"Hmm?" Misty looked at the phone.

"Is he calling you back?" Brian asked, standing up.

"No…" Misty said. She looked at the number. "It's from Professor Oak." She put the call on screen.

"Professor… Oak?" Misty was instantly shocked. The Pokemon professor was covered in soot and grime, and he had a clear breathing mask on his mouth and nose. A nurse was helping supply him with oxygen.

Seeing her, Oak sighed in relief. "Misty, thank Arceus. I hoped Brian would know where you were."

"Professor, we need to get you to the hospital!" The nurse admonished him.

"Not yet!" He snapped back. "Hold on a moment!" He turned back to Misty. "Misty… You've got to come to Pallet. Bring Brock, too." The Professor had untold horror in his eyes, something that frightened her immensely

"Professor, what happened? Did the lab burn?" Misty asked.

"No, not the lab, it—" He broke off, coughing.

"Professor! You need to go!" The nurse tried to move him again.

"Hold your horses!" He snapped again. "Misty, its Delia. Her house, it burned. Mr. Mime contacted me, and we got her out, but she's badly burned and injured, and she's inhaled a lot of smoke. She's barely holding on, and she keeps asking for Ash, as though she's forgotten he can't come. But she told me to get you and Brock, and you would know what to do. They took her to Viridian Hospital, and it looks like I'll be there soon, too. Come. Please." He started coughing hard again, and the line went dead.

Misty spun around, and saw looks of shock and disbelief. She knew that she wore one as well.

Brian threw her a Pokeball, and she caught it as she started running outside, knowing full well what it had to hold. Brock followed behind her, and Ash flew through the walls ahead.

"Slifer, go!" Misty called as she released him. The instant he had materialized, she jumped up onto his back. "Fly to Viridian City! **GO!**" Misty cried urgently. Brock barely had time to get on before Slifer took the air, and Ash, Misty and Brock were gone.

"Good luck…" Brian said softly. He turned and walked slowly back inside, his pride and joy from a few minutes before forgotten.

Though the sun was still high in the sky, the day had suddenly become very, very dark.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

Do you like random references to video games and anime? What about Little Kuriboh or GG-Guys? Or do you like hearing very naughty words at regular intervals, and also pointless nonsense which is hilarious? Then you should totally listen to Wha-Chow! Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM Central Time. Wha-Chow! It's like a kick in the nuts. You can find archived podcasts of it and the U-Stream link at .

Sorry, I listened to that this week, it was hilarious, and I had to plug it in my work.

Anyway… first thing, Brock. Yes, I had his mind jump _straight_ to sex, twice. That might seem kinda weird for Pokemon characters, because they're never, ever, ever shown considering the very possibility. But I think it would happen like that! I mean, what do you get when you take a girl-obsessed teenager and age him five years? I think you would get a sex-obsessed young adult. That probably depends on the person, but I have said it, and so it must be canon! And, come on. Some of you had to be at least a _little_ curious about the whole thing anyway.

Hmm… Did anyone get the feel of an actual episode of the Pokemon anime in the middle of the chapter, right when Max showed up? You know… battle, loss, advice, catching Pokemon, foiling Team Rocket, parting remarks, walking into the sunset. That's what I was really going for there. I wanted to see how it went. So what did you think?

Also, finally the real challenge of the story is revealed! Next chapter starts off the endgame, which actually comprises a whole lot of the story. But the end is in sight at last! I mean, it's still a ways away, but you can SEE it. You know what I mean.

The statistical likelihood of Misty's sisters being available _exactly_ when she needed them is so small that I'm pretty sure it would be more likely for her gym to be destroyed by a meteor. _Twice._ But I really, really needed somebody to watch the gym for her. I considered Francis doing it, but then realized how utterly retarded that idea was. So I fabricated a solution. Yes, it's lazy of me. Yes, I'm a horrible person. Sue me! I tried, damn it, but I just couldn't think of a better solution, and I needed a reason for the Sensational Sisters to be willing to come back without giving up all their dreams. A broken leg isn't that terribly unlikely, the part that's unlikely is that it happened _exactly_ when it needed to. I apologize for any sadness that I might have caused you.

Heh… don't you hate cliffhangers? I know I do. Also, Warlordess, if you're reading this, I hope being on edge gives you a _little_ taste of what you did to everyone who likes _Illicit Saints_ when you didn't update for about eighteen months after that cliffhanger _you_ so wonderfully provided us. Enjoy!

I hate the title of this story. In case you haven't noticed, I suck **tremendously** at titling stories and chapters. So… new challenge this chapter. Give me a title for this story, based on what you know so far. If I like an entry enough, I'll probably change it. I mean… _The Spirit of Youth_? The title seemed fine when I first started it, but as the story has progressed, Ash's age as a spirit became a minor challenge. The real challenge has obviously just become available (Warning! New Challenger Approaches!). Heh… win. SO, anyone who wants in, either leave the title in your review, or send me a private message with your title idea if you're an insensitive jerk who won't review but still wants in on the challenge. The winner (if any) will be chosen at my discretion and no one else's. I'll be judge, I'll be jury (said the cunning old fury.)

**EDIT: **Obviously, this contest is over. The winning title was **Of Creation and Destruction. **Again, obviously.

Oh, did I mention I'd like you to review? Because I would. Very much.

I don't own Pokemon.

Well, that's everything! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and I'll be back with Chapter Eight soon. This is your writer, signing off. See you next time!

James


	8. An Ending and a Beginning

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Eight: An Ending and a Beginning_

"Go, go, go, go, go…"

Thirty minutes after they had flown out of Cerulean, Misty realized that she was still mumbling that simple word under her breath. She stopped and looked around. They were almost there; Viridian City was just barely coming into view. She looked around for Ash. He was flying next to them, but he was anxious to go faster. He kept getting ahead, then falling back when he looked to see where Misty and Brock were.

Ash felt Misty's eyes on him, and he turned to look at her. Misty wanted to cry when she saw that face; he was so hurt and afraid. But they were nearing the city, so…

Misty put her hands around her mouth and yelled "Ash! People will see you if you don't change now!"

It took a moment for Ash to realize what she had said. Then he nodded absentmindedly and vanished.

"Where's the hospital, Brock?" Misty asked.

He pointed out a building on the skyline. "That one." Slifer rocketed towards it.

A couple of minutes later, they were landing in front of the hospital. Brock and Misty leapt off of the Dragonite, Misty recalling him as they sprinted towards the entrance. The doors opened, and they ran up to the information desk.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist smiled sweetly.

"We're here to see Delia Ketchum," Misty responded. "Could you please tell us where she is?"

"Oh, dear…" The woman's smile vanished. "She's just come out of surgery. She's asleep in room 148, but it's still a very close thing. They've done all they can, but she still might not pull through... Are you the two people she was asking for?" Brock and Misty nodded in reply. "I'll show you in, but… she's badly burned. You may not want to see."

"We _need_ to see her, ma'am," Brock insisted. "She asked for us."

"Alright, then…" She stood up and walked around her desk. "Follow me, please."

She led them through the hospital in silence. As they walked, Misty felt a shaking hand grasp her own. She gave it a tight squeeze of support.

The receptionist stopped. "This is it," she said, nodding towards a door. "Please try to be quiet. She's still out of it." The woman left them.

Misty took her free hand and opened the door. The three friends moved inside, and Misty shut the door behind them, giving Ash the privacy to reappear.

It was a simple hospital room: a bed, a television, and some chairs. But the bed was where all their eyes went.

Ash's mother was surrounded by monitors and equipment. Everything from her heart rate to her alpha waves was being tracked, and she was on an IV drip. But that wasn't the part that had their attention. No, that was reserved for Delia's face.

A huge section of burned skin stretched across it, from the center of her forehead in an arc over one of her eyes (which was mostly obliterated) and across to her ear. Her hair was either burned or shaved off. The once beautiful face of Delia was hideously disfigured.

There were more burns across her arms, and they knew that under the wraps, there were still more covering the rest of her. It looked horrendously painful; Ash, Misty, and Brock each struggled not to think about how she had sustained those injuries.

"Mom…" Ash whispered painfully.

Suddenly the door to the room opened, and a nurse walked in. His eyes flashed from the three teens to the woman on the bed, and he blanched. "Oh! I'm so sorry you had to see her like this," he apologized, rushing forward. He treated her wounds, covering the burns in some thick cream, and bandaged them. Behind his back, Ash vanished.

"That should keep the pain down, for a while at least…" He turned around. "Are you the kids she was asking for?"

"Yeah," Brock said. "I'm Brock, and this is Misty."

"What about the…" He looked around the room. "Wasn't there another?"

Brock and Misty shared a furtive glance. "No, just us," Misty replied.

"Oh." He shook his head, and ran a hand over his eyes. "I guess I'm just tired. Well, I hope she'll see you, then. Before…." He stopped himself. "Well, she will. I had better go. I have other patients." The nurse left, and Brock shut the door behind him, freeing Ash once again. Misty and Brock sat down, while Ash stood by his mother's side, holding her hand. They stayed that way for quite a while, the room silent except for the quiet beeping of the monitors.

After an hour of this, the door opened again, prompting Ash to vanish once more. Two men in lab coats entered: Professor Oak, and a doctor they hadn't seen before. The unknown doctor strode purposefully to Delia's monitors and wrote down several of the readings, muttering absentmindedly to himself.

Behind him, Misty stood and asked, "Doctor? How is she?"

The man sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Not… not good." He turned and looked at the three he could see. "The surgery was successful, in a sense, but I fear that it might have come too late. There was so much damage… Her vitals are still decreasing slowly. They may turn around with time, but…" he hesitated. "At her current rate of decline, she won't live through the night."

"Oh," Misty said simply. She fell back into the chair in shock, her head falling into her hands. The room fell into an uneasy silence.

"I have to go," the doctor said after a moment. "I'll be checking in periodically."

"Thank you, Dr. Stewart," the Professor said quietly. The doctor left, but Oak stayed behind. He looked at Misty and Brock. "I thank you both. I knew you wouldn't let her down." He sat down heavily. "I just wish she was able to see you."

"She will, Professor," Brock replied.

And silence reigned in the room for a few hours more. In that time, the Dr. Stewart came in twice, but the results were still falling. He left the room with less hope each time, and each return pulled a bit of hope from everyone within it as well.

Then, finally, Delia spoke.

"Ash?" She murmured, voice warped by her injuries. She opened her good eye. Instantly everyone in the room was alert. Brock and Misty looked at each other, then at Professor Oak, then back to each other.

"Do you think he should?" Brock asked Misty.

"I think we should trust the Professor," Misty replied. "But it's up to him if he wants Oak to know."

Close to her ear, Misty heard "Tell him. I have to talk to her; I don't care if he knows about me now."

"Okay." Misty said aloud. She looked at Oak. "Professor, you're not going to believe this, but… Ash's spirit is with us, in this room. And he's going to appear. Please don't question it right now; he needs this time with his mom."

Oak looked very skeptical, until Ash materialized at his mother's side. Then his face went to shock. Then, after looking around at everyone, he nodded in acceptance. "Go on," he said shakily.

Ash took his mother's un-bandaged hand. "Mom?" He asked timidly.

They heard Delia breathe a sigh of relief. "You came," she said, voice weak with fatigue.

"Of course I did, mom," Ash said, eyes welling with light. "When have I ever let you down?"

She laughed a little. "You're right. I should have known…" she struggled over the words. "…should have known better than to doubt that." She tried to move her head little, to look at him better, but her injuries flared up at even that light movement and she groaned in pain.

"Stay still," Ash said. "Don't hurt yourself."

She chuckled, then coughed. "I'm sorry, but I think it's a bit late for that, Ash." She gazed at him lovingly. "I'm sorry about this, Ashy, but I had to see you before I… go."

Ash shook his head. "You're not going, mom. You're gonna stay right here. You can't go yet, not yet. We found a way for me to come back, mom!" He whispered excitedly. "We're gonna go to Sinnoh, and I'm gonna get a new body. And we'll really be together again! So you can't leave now!" The shining tears started to fall.

"Oh, that's wonderful, Ash," she breathed. "But… I really don't think I'm going to be around to see it."

"Yes you will!" Ash said angrily.

"Ash Ketchum! Don't talk that way to your mother!" Delia rose off the bed a bit to scold him, regaining her old energy for a moment.

Ash's face softened. "Sorry, mom. It's just… hard."

"I know, Ash." She fell back to the pillow looked up at the ceiling. "I imagine it always is. I remember losing you… but you came back." She smiled sadly at him. "I doubt that I'll be that lucky twice, sweetie."

"It's not fair," Ash said, shaking his head. "I worked so hard so I could be with you again, but now you're going to leave me…" He bowed his head in grief, tears floating to the floor.

"Now, Ash, don't think that way," Delia said. "We had—" She stopped and coughed. "Ugh… it hurts…" She shook her head. "We had three months, Ash. After what happened to you, I don't think I could have asked for anything better. Always remember the times we had. I'm sorry…" A tear fell from Delia's good eye. "I'm sorry I won't be there to see you get your body, or become a Master, or fall in love…" She glanced knowingly at Misty, and smiled. "But I wouldn't trade the time we had for anything."

"I wouldn't either… I just wish it didn't have to be over so soon." Ash looked back up at her, and took her hand again. "I love you, mom."

Ash's mother lifted her hand to touch his cheek. "I love you too, sweetie. My Ash…" Her arm fell back to the bed; even that much exertion was already taking a heavy toll on her.

She spoke again. "Misty, Brock, Sam. Please come here." The three stood up, Misty moving next to Ash, and Brock and Professor Oak taking the opposite side. Delia looked first at Misty, then at Brock and the Professor. "Take care of him for me, you three. You're his family, too, and family care for each other." Then she fixed her gaze on Misty. "Especially you, Misty. You… you love Ash, don't you?"

Misty didn't bother to question how she knew, or hide anything. "I do." She grabbed Ash's free hand, lacing her fingers with his own.

"I thought so." Delia nodded to herself. "And Ash, you love her too." It wasn't a question this time, but he nodded anyway. "Good." She smiled. "I guess I got to see you fall in love after all…" She coughed again. "Ash, Misty… I knew you would be together eventually, ever since I met Misty so long ago. I guess you didn't need my help after all, Ash." She laughed. "I never thought you would see it so soon… so focused… I always thought you would overlook it, but maybe your time alone taught you something about love." She sighed. "So… I suppose I'm leaving you in good hands with her. I certainly hope so." She looked at Misty, who noticed that her eyes were starting to droop. "If you can give him a life again, try not to kill him for me, okay?"

Misty laughed through her tears. "I'll care for him, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Me too," Brock added.

"As will I." Samuel agreed.

"Good, good," Delia said. "Then… you're taken care of, Ash. I just wanted to make sure…" Her eyes closed. "Make sure that you would get by without me." Absentmindedly, she added "And… be sure you remember to change… your you-know-whats… every day… Ash…"

Ash turned a lighter shade of blue, then smiled. "I will, mom."

But she was already asleep once more.

The room's human inhabitants moved back to their seats, while Ash continued his vigil. The minutes bled into the hours, time distorting as afternoon turned to evening. Nurses and the doctor came and went, blending together into a single indistinct face of sorrow.

Then Ash noticed a change in his mother that the others could not. She moved a bit, but for a moment a ghostly image of her remained behind. After this happened a few times, he realized what it was. Her spirit was coming loose from her body.

She was dying.

He didn't share what he saw with his friends, though. He couldn't bear to share this pain with them so soon. He knew that they would be feeling it soon enough. And soon enough, they did.

Death came quietly. All those in the room heard was a deep sigh from Mrs. Ketchum, and then… nothing. If not for the sudden blank, dead tone from the heart monitor, they never would have known. But it came, and suddenly they did know. There was a rush, only moments later, of nurses and the doctor, but their efforts to resuscitate her were doomed before they began; Delia's fate had been sealed before she had ever been pulled from her home. Ash, Misty, Brock, and the Professor watched anxiously as they administered CPR and tried defibrillation, but they couldn't bring Delia back. Soon, far too soon in their eyes, Dr. Stewart sighed, and with a weary voice and a heavy heart, said "It's over. Call it."

The nurse who had bandaged Mrs. Ketchum earlier responded with "Time of death, nine thirty-six P.M."

The doctor faced the group. "I'm so sorry… we did all we could." He bowed his head.

"Thank you," Professor Oak said quietly.

The doctor addressed him. "Sir, I believe that Mrs. Ketchum named you as next of kin?"

"That, and the executor of her estate. We were close." He looked at the still body, then turned to the doctor, wiping a tear away. "Very close."

"I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Samuel. I wish I had something better to give you, but that's all I have."

"I know. Thank you, Chris."

"Are you willing to assist me in settling her affairs right now, Professor? I'll need you for part of it, but I understand if you want some time…"

"No, I'm fine," he said wearily. "But… I need a moment alone with the kids."

"Of course." The doctor waved the nurses out of the room with him, leaving Oak with Misty and Brock. Ash reappeared the instant the door closed.

None of them had broken down yet, but they all had tears in their eyes as the Professor spoke. "I don't know what's happened here. Ash's presence is something beyond everything I know. But all of those questions are for another day. I imagine you want to keep Ash secret, so I'll be taking care of everything for Delia. I don't know what you need to do. You're welcome to stay at the lab, or the Center, whatever you want. Brock, Misty, I know that Delia left much of what she had to the two of you… in a way, she considered you her children as much as Ash." He put a hand on the two of them. "I know this will be hard for all of you. But Delia knew that you had each other, and you'll get through this." He sighed sadly. "You will." He turned. "Let's leave her… there's nothing left for us here."

Ash, Brock, and Misty followed him out of the room. They left Oak with the doctor outside, then walked together out of the hospital.

"Come on," Brock said quietly. "Let's go to the center. It's too late to go home now."

They followed him towards the center, Ash invisibly holding Misty's hand. And they walked on the line between the forest and the city for quite a while before they were interrupted.

It started with Ash. He heard a voice, a very small one, call his name. At first he thought it was Misty. He looked at her to see why, but then he heard it again, and her mouth didn't move. He looked around. Who else knew he was there? So he looked around. There wasn't anything, but…

"_Ash_."

The voice remained.

"Do you hear that?" Ash whispered to Misty.

"What?" She said back.

"Someone's calling me. A girl. I thought it was you, but…"

Misty shook her head. "That's not possible. No one can see you, and the only girl besides me who knows is Natty, now that…" She let the rest go unsaid.

"I know, but someone's calling… there it is again!" This time, he finally had a direction. "I have to see who it is… come on!" Ash pulled Misty along as he ran.

"What is it?" Brock said, following Misty as she moved toward the woods with Ash.

"Ash thinks somebody's calling him out of the woods," Misty replied.

"Who? Who could be?"

"I don't know, it seems impossible!"

Ash kept on leading, following what neither of them could hear. As the city disappeared between the trees behind them, Ash reappeared. As soon as he could, he let go of Misty's hand and ran ahead. But almost immediately after he let go, he stopped. He had found what he was looking for. Or, rather, _who_ he was looking for.

Because standing in the glade where Ash came to a halt was his mother.

"Mom!" Ash ran to her, and they embraced.

"Ash…" she smiled. "I knew you would hear me."

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty asked him, walking forward with Brock.

"It's my mom! Don't you see?" Ash let go and turned to face his friends.

"No, we don't," Brock answered. "All we can see is you."

"But…" he looked at Delia again, confused. Now he saw what he had missed in his excitement before. Delia was slightly transparent, and glowed in shades of blue. "Oh…" Ash's face fell, as he realized the obvious truth. This wasn't Delia, or at least not all of her. It was her spirit. "You can't make them see you, just like I couldn't after I… died." He nearly choked on the last word.

"I'm sorry, Ash," Delia said mournfully. "I held on, because I had to see you one last time. But I can never be strong enough for them to see me."

Ash noticed something else, something he hadn't ever seen. Delia seemed… unstable. Her form was wavering, like he was viewing her through a fire. For an instant, the hand he held faded into insubstantiality, before it came back.

"You can't stay, can you?" Ash asked, knowing the answer before it came.

"No." She hugged Ash again, but her arms soon slipped through him this time. "I can't. Everything is fading… I don't know how you have held on for so long. Maybe you're just more stubborn than I can be…" She laughed a little at that. "But whatever the reason… I can't hold this forever. But I can see the next… world, whatever it is. It's…" For a second, she seemed lost for words, and she disappeared almost entirely before she shook her head and came back. "It's so beautiful." She looked at Ash. "You could come with me, Ash."

Ash's eyes grew. He glanced back at his friends. "That's the tug… the one in my head… The other world has always been calling me, hasn't it? But my friends… remembering them gave me the strength to hold on." He turned back to his mother. "So if I just let go of them… I can cross over with you?"

"Yes."

"What's happening, Ash?" Misty asked, confusion in her eyes. She walked closer, standing right behind him. "Where are you going?

"I don't know…" Ash said. He faced her. "Mom says that she's about to go to the spirit world, or wherever it is that people go. But…" he hesitated. "She says I can go with her, too. If I want to."

"Oh." Misty looked down, and the brim of her hat covered her eyes from him. "So… so this is it? You're going to leave us, too?"

"What? No! I mean… I don't know…" He looked back at his mom. "Should I?"

"I don't know, Ash. You told me there was a plan, something that might bring you back? I don't know what you meant, but maybe that's the path you should take. You have people here who love you, right? And you can always change your mind, if you want to come. But I can't come back to you." She smiled at Ash. "I'm not here to make you do anything, Ash. I'm only here to give you the choice."

"Thank you, mom." He looked back at Misty and Brock, and they moved to stand beside him. "But you're right. I can't leave the people I love behind. And I'll be with you again someday, right? We all will, when the time comes."

"I know you will." She sighed. "But it's going to be hard waiting for you."

Ash smiled. "I'll come when I'm done here, mom. After all, when have I ever let you down?"

"I keep forgetting that." She laughed, then they both grew solemn. "I'm going to miss you, Ash."

"I'll miss you too, mom. I love you." He tried to hug her again, and this time it worked. Delia gave it her all to stay solid for that few seconds.

"I love you too. I know you're going to have a great life. You'll do that for me, right?"

"I will, mom. Say hi to Dad for me." She lost focus, and slipped out of his arms.

"Goodbye, Ash. I'll see you…" her mouth moved a second more, but he couldn't hear anymore. The shimmer grew more and more, and suddenly she was gone.

"Bye, mom." Ash watched where she had been for a few moments, and then turned back around. "Well… let's go." He started walking away again, but the despair that had been on his shoulders since they left the hospital was gone now. He walked a little taller, a little more purposefully. Seeing that, Misty and Brock ran after him, and they walked side by side back into the city.

* * *

The next few days passed in a flurry of motion and effort. Brock returned to his home, and Misty and Ash went back to Cerulean. They each spent their time getting everything ready for their expedition to Sinnoh. Ash had a lot of free time for a few days, since he couldn't exactly hang around the gym while Misty's sisters were there. He ended up hanging around with Brock a lot more than usual.

Misty spent her time re-teaching her sisters how to take care of the gym and making sure they weren't _too_ horribly bad at battling. (They were anyway, but there really wasn't much she could do about that.) They hadn't forgotten everything, but they'd forgotten a lot. So she just taught them everything again. And given that her sisters weren't the most enthusiastic people when it came to working with their hands, each task took twice as long with them helping as it did normally. Misty was not a happy person right now, but she suffered through it for Ash. And a few days later, everything seemed to be ready to go. Daisy and Lily could run the place on their own, and everything was ready to go.

But before they could leave, there was one last thing they needed to do.

It was a cold day in Pallet Town. Winter was fast approaching, and people out in the cold could feel the north wind biting at whatever surfaces they exposed. Brock, Misty, Brian, and Natalia walked through the cemetery to Delia's grave, Ash hovering unseen above them. The funeral was simple, as they usually are. No frills, no revelations, no special speeches. The turnout was rather large, at least for Pallet Town. Delia was well known and well liked; the people of Pallet considered the loss of her to be a real blow to the town. Professor Oak gave the eulogy, and he got a few tears, though none came from Ash. He had made his peace with his mother; he was through with tears, ready to move ahead with his life and confident in the knowledge that he would see her again.

After the funeral, the group met in Professor Oak's lab, much as they had after Ash's funeral six years before. However, this was by far a happier occasion than that one. Yes, they had lost someone special, someone irreplaceable. But so soon before their departure for Sinnoh, there was a certain electricity in the air, at least in the younger people of the group. Oak, for his part, was rather downtrodden, but he couldn't bring everyone down.

"How are you taking it, Ash?" Brian opened the conversation when they arrived. He and Natty hadn't had much time to talk to the "original" trio about their feelings since Delia's death, and hadn't spoken to Ash at all. They were curious as to how this was going to shake things up.

"I'm alright," he replied, his head down as he scratched Pikachu's ears. He looked up at them. "Really, I am. I've had time to think, and I got to tell her goodbye. And… we'll meet again, right? So I just need to keep looking to the future." He nodded.

"That's the spirit, Ash," Natty agreed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each of them lost in thought.

"So…" Professor Oak said. "You're all leaving soon, correct? On this…" he gestured with his hand, searching for the right word. "This mission to bring Ash back?"

"That's right. The day after tomorrow, we catch our flight to Sinnoh out of Saffron," Brock answered.

"Hm. You're going to miss the reading of Delia's will." He sighed. "But I can tell you what it says. She left the house to me, along with everything in it. Not that it matters, given that it burned… I guess I'll get the land, and anything that can be salvaged. Anyway, her money was split evenly between you two," he said, looking to Brock and Misty. "I suppose she didn't think I needed that, or that there would be a way to legally give it to Ash. So you'll get that. Well, you will, Brock. Misty, yours is inaccessible until you turn eighteen next year. And that's really it. She kept it simple, since she didn't have any family…"

"That's not true," Brian interjected. The room looked to him. "Well, it's not! Look around," he said, waving an arm around at the gathered company. "She had Ash at the end, and she always had you, Professor, and you know she thought of Misty and Brock like her own kids. I guess she didn't have a traditional family who she was related to, but that's not what family is about. She had a bunch of people who loved her and cared about her, who she cared about. If that's not a family, I don't know what the hell a family is."

"That's right," Misty agreed. "She had all of us." Brock and the Professor nodded their agreement.

"And we have each other," Ash added.

"Pika chu!" Pikachu agreed happily.

"We do, don't we?" Oak said, smiling for the first time since the funeral. "There is that."

"So how is everyone?" Natty asked. "I haven't got to see you guys since... well, you know. Everybody ready to go?"

"I am," Brock said. "I got Flint to cover the gym, and I found my breeding team, too. You'll never guess who I got?"

Everybody started throwing out guesses. Natty guessed her mom, Misty guessed some random person he met, Oak guessed Flint, and Brian guessed Ryu from Street Fighter II. (Ash didn't guess, because he already knew from hanging out with Brock more than usual.)

"All wrong. I got Suzy to do it!" Brock exclaimed.

"Really? I thought you said she was opening her own breeding center with Zane," Misty replied.

"Well, that's what she told me when we met in Johto, but I was just calling every Breeder I know about, and she was on the list. She told me she still plans to open one; they just haven't got around to it yet. It's not exactly cheap, you know. So she was really excited about the opportunity to run one for a while. She's arriving with Zane tomorrow, and they'll take over from there. If everything goes as planned, I should be able to meet you in Cerulean by nightfall tomorrow."

"I am packed. That was the entirety of my preparations," Brian said. "Other than, you know, buying the plane tickets, and replacing everyone's travelling gear, and… you know, basically financing the entire expedition. By the way, this had better damn work. I've already dropped about five grand into this."

"You offered to do all of that, so quit complaining!" Misty said. "And you're practically loaded, what else are you gonna do with it?"

"I dunno… I just wanted somebody to notice me helping," he replied, embarrassed.

"Whatever." Misty rolled her eyes.

"Whatever… your face…" Brian mumbled back weakly.

"Anyway, my sisters are ready to take over the gym while we're gone, and I've got my stuff ready to leave in my room."

"I'm ready to go, and my mom knows where I'm going, and she's okay with it," Natty exclaimed. "She was the only problem with me. Hey, was I supposed to tell her about Ash?"

"_No!_" The rest of the room cried at her.

"You told her that?" Misty demanded.

"No. Why would I tell her that?" Natty responded innocently, tilting her head. "I just wanted to know if I should."

"Oh. Good." Everyone relaxed visibly.

"Why did you say it like that, then?" Brian asked.

"Like what?"

"Like… oh, never mind."

"Well, that's everybody, then," Ash said. "Everything's ready."

"Good. Hey, I'll be out back with the Pokemon," Brock said. "I'm going to take a look at your facilities and see if I get any ideas for the center."

"Well, you should have asked," Professor Oak replied. "I'll show you around, if you want."

"Yeah, that'll help. Thanks, Professor."

"I'm going out back, too," Brian said. "I've got some friends out there I haven't seen in a while, and I'll let my Pokemon out for a run, too. And I'm thinking of switching out Belle for a stronger Pokemon while we're in Sinnoh. I love Belle, but I want to be ready for anything, and a Clefairy kind of limits my current flexibility in battle."

"Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll let my Pokemon out, too!" Natty cheered.

As a group, most of the room filed outside to Oak's ranch. The only people left in the room were Misty, Ash, and Pikachu.

"You'd think they would be a little more sensitive…" Misty said. "It's like they've forgotten why we're here."

"It's better that they aren't wallowing in misery, though," Ash replied. "I'm not, after all. And did you expect them to? Brock's really… um…"

"Resilient?" Misty suggested.

"Yeah, that's the word. And those two barely knew my mom at all. Did they even meet her?"

She nodded. "They did once. Remember, at the party the day you left?"

"Oh, yeah." He laughed. "How did I forget that day? That was the day we told each other how we felt…"

She hit him in the arm. "And then you immediately broke my heart and left."

"Hey… I had good reasons," Ash exclaimed. "I mean, they _seemed_ like good reasons at the time. And I used the time we were apart, you know! Or do you _not_ like spending the nights together?"

Misty sweatdropped. "No, no… that's not what I meant. Of course I love that!"

"Then don't complain about me leaving."

"I'll complain about whatever I want!" Misty shot back. "And there's nothing you can do to stop—"

Then Ash proved her wrong by leaning over and silencing her with a kiss.

They broke apart, Misty's mouth working in furious, silent speech for a moment before she crossed her arms and pouted. "You're evil."

Ash smiled. "You love me anyway, though."

Misty sighed in defeat, until a thought occurred to her. "I can't wait until you're alive again, you know." She grinned wickedly. "I am going to mallet you so often, you're going to wish you'd never been born."

Ash went very still for a moment. "Oh… crap. I had not thought of that." He floated up and flew outside, yelling "Hey, guys! Are those plane tickets nonrefundable? I think I'm having a change of heart!"

Misty snickered, then walked outside to join her friends.

* * *

Two mornings later, the group was meeting again, this time for the start of their expedition. (Ash had obviously not convinced them to reconsider the trip.)

"Everybody ready?" Misty called, putting on her backpack.

"I am," Brock said. He shrugged into his vest, and walked to stand beside her.

"Nope! I just packed all this stuff and got my team ready so I could sit at the gym for a couple months and drink smoothies," Brian quipped. "Yes, we are obviously ready! Why else would we be standing in the lobby at five in the morning?"

"Shut up," Natty ordered. "Anyway, I'm ready, too. But where are your sisters? Don't they want to say goodbye?"

Misty snorted. "Ha ha. Yeah, like they would get up at five for any reason. Ever. They're sleeping, and they probably will be for a while."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Brock asked.

"Probably me," Ash replied from out of sight. He floated down through the ceiling to stand with the group.

"Almost," Misty said. "But where's Pikachu?"

"Pikachupi!" They heard him racing down the halls. He came into sight, holding his little replica of Misty's hat, and jumped onto Misty's shoulder.

"Oh, you remembered it!" Natty squealed. "Now we've got everything!"

"Yep, that's everything," Misty proclaimed. "Now, let's get on the road!"

Everyone hefted their travel gear, (which was pretty light, since they were likely going to be carrying it for the next two months) and the gang headed out the doors of Cerulean Gym. Misty was the last one out, but she stopped as soon as she walked out. The rest walked on a few steps before Ash turned around and noticed her.

"What's the matter, Misty? Did you forget something?" Ash asked.

She shook her head. "No, it's not that." Then she smiled. "It's just that… I just realized that we're finally on our way. I haven't left the gym for more than a few days since you died. It's good to be travelling again."

"You aren't travelling if you just stand there like an idiot," Natty joked. "So come on! We've got to be in Saffron by five o'clock, or we'll miss our plane! And I am _not_ walking to Sinnoh."

As they turned and started walking again, Brock responded "You know, you can't actually walk to Sinnoh. It's on another continent. We'd have to take a ferry there."

"Oooh!" Natty said. "A cruise? That sounds fun! Why didn't we take a boat?"

"Because the ship takes about two weeks to get there," Brian replied. "We don't have that kind of time. The plane ride is only fifteen hours."

"Oh."

Twenty minutes later, they walked out of Cerulean City, on the road to Saffron. The journey had begun at last.

* * *

Of course, airports tend to slow things down, as the group realized pretty quickly after arriving. The first hurdle came when the staff took their Pokeballs, as they were considered too dangerous to have on the plane, which was probably a valid point. Their Pokemon were transported directly to the airport in Sinnoh where they would be arriving, in Eterna City, but they had to work really, really hard to convince the officers that Pikachu absolutely would not go in his Pokeball, and then even harder to gain permission for him to stay on the plane with Misty. Then they ran into trouble when Brock's luggage had tent stakes in it, and he got dragged aside by security, so they were forced to sit in a waiting area for an hour more. And _then_ they had to explain why they had a ticket for no one, since they couldn't very well tell them that a ghost was occupying it. But finally they got onto the plane… where they waited for yet _another_ hour before it took off. But take off it eventually did, and soon they were in the air on the way to Sinnoh. Of course, the flight had its own problems, but our heroes needed no help in creating those.

"But… but I want the window…" Natty complained to Brian for the fifty-thousandth time.

"Graaaah…"

"I need to see Sinnoh first! I haven't ever seen it, you know, and you have! So I should have the window!"

"_Graaaaaah_…"

"Please please please please? Can I have it? _Please please please please please please please pl—_"

"**FINE!**" Brian yelled, scaring everyone on board. He stood up furiously and switched seats with her. "Now be quiet, for Mew's sake! I. Want. To. _SLEEEEEEEP._" He tilted his seat back, hoping she would finally shut up so he could get some rest.

A hope that was almost instantly dashed when she started calling out the shapes she saw in the clouds, and everything she saw in Kanto and the sea below. Brian started smashing his own head with his fists, hoping that he would knock himself out, burst his eardrums, or kill himself, whichever came first.

Behind them, Brock sat and stared straight ahead, trying desperately not to say anything to the girl next to him. Because, of course, Brock had got a seat next to a girl. A _pretty _girl, at that. But he knew he shouldn't talk to her, because right now she couldn't escape him even if she wanted to, and that was low, even for him, even _if_ there was no way she could possibly resist him once he turned on the charm. So he would definitely not—

"Hi, I'm Brock. But you can call me whatever you want, beautiful, as long as you let me take you to a romantic dinner as soon as we land. Or maybe we could have one now! I love airline food, don't you? It's the perfect thing for a date, don't you think, lovely? I'm sure they'll be bringing it out soon, and I'd love to share it with you."

_Damn, _Brock thought aimlessly as he blathered on and on.

Luckily for the girl (and not Brock) Misty was right behind him, and she reached over the seat, careful not to jostle Pikachu, to smash his head with her mallet. (In case you are wondering, no: airport security does not check hammer-space during boarding. They probably should, but that's a question for another day.) Brock was incapacitated, which gave Misty the chance to apologize to his unfortunate target and warn him of the dire, dire consequences that would be headed his way if he kept itup.

Ash spent the flight in quiet thought, which was really pretty much the only option since he couldn't talk to anyone without worrying about being overheard.

Over the hours, the (living) gang managed to get some much-needed sleep.

But eventually, they heard Natty cry "There it is!"

And indeed it was. Sinnoh crept over the horizon, and soon they could make out several towns and landmarks, the most obvious of which was the enormous centerpiece of Mount Coronet.

"Look, up at the peak!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be silent. Luckily, no one noticed his outburst. The whole plane was focused on the sight below. At the peak, they could see a place the clouds were swirling around, as though they were focusing on some awesome force centered there.

"That must be Spear Pillar…" Brian murmured. "That's where we'll find Arceus."

Misty moved to the window. "It's amazing… you can see the power there, even from up here."

"And that's what we're going to try to control?" Brock said, suddenly realizing the enormity of their quest. "Are we really that crazy?"

"Um… sir, please get off of me."

Brock blinked, then turned to look at the woman he was leaning across to see out the window. He jumped back, babbling an apology, lest he incur Misty's wrath. His unfortunate neighbor rolled her eyes, and continued to ignore Brock as hard as she could.

The overhead speakers came on with a message from the captain. "Uhh, hey dudes, this is your el capi-tan speaking. We're totally heading into Sinnoh, and we're gonna be landing in, oh, like ten minutes. Please sit down and fasten your seat-belt thingies, we're about to hang ten." He laughed as the speakers cut off.

"Huh," Brian remarked, turning around to face his friends in the seats behind him. "Is it bad that we have a surfer pilot? Because I think it's bad. What's the airplane equivalent of hanging ten?"

After a few seconds of silent thought, everyone started strapping themselves in furiously.

* * *

"I swear, if any of these Pokemon aren't mine, there's going to be hell to pay," Natty grumbled as they reclaimed their Pokemon at the airport.

"They're tagged to us, so I think they'd know if any of them weren't ours," Brock said, examining his Pokeballs closely.

"Probably, but I'm still letting all of them out when we get outside, just to make sure," Natty said.

Brian looked up from scanning his own Pokeballs with his Pokedex. "What, no one else has one of these?"

Misty shook her head. "No. Why would we? Brock and I are Gym Leaders, not traveling trainers. And Natty's always been a Breeder, so she never got one either."

"Oh. Well, here." He handed Misty the index. "Pass it around. All of these are mine, I've checked."

They checked, and all was well. (Actually, there was a mix up: One of Natty's Pokeballs held Brock's Crobat, and one of Brock's held Natty's Pidgeot. But since they were lucky enough to have each other's Pokemon, they only let Natty yell at the airport staff for fifteen minutes before they left.)

"So where do we go?" Brock asked as they walked through Eterna City. "Please tell me we're not going to just wander around Sinnoh for the next three months, hoping to stumble onto some sort of clue."

"Of course not," Misty replied. "Professor Oak arranged a meeting for us with Cynthia in Celestic Town three days from now. She's going to tell us everything she knows about the Arceus myth, and we'll decide where to go next from there."

"Great. So where's Celestic Town?" Natty asked.

Brian pointed east across town. "That way. It's just over Mount Coronet." The mountain sat on the horizon, looming over the landscape.

"Great. Well, let's get moving!" Misty led the way as they walked out of town.

"How in the world are we ever going to get to Celestic in time, though?" Natty said. "There is no way we can climb over that huge thing in three days!"

"We don't have to climb it," Brock replied. "Once you climb a little ways up the mountain, there's a series of caverns and tunnels to the other side. Walking through those makes the trip a lot faster. The people and Pokemon of Sinnoh had to work for years to build those, and it's a constant effort to keep them open. Without them, Sinnoh might as well be two different regions."

"That's really cool. So have you been through here before, Brock?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, I have. Dawn and I went through both the north and the south tunnels when I travelled with her. We'll go through the north tunnels this time, but I don't doubt that we'll see the other set before we're done in Sinnoh."

With that, the conversation died out, and they walked out of Eterna City, into the forest and towards the horizon.

* * *

"Ah, now this is the life," Brock said as he sat down next to the fire they had built. "I miss travelling."

The sun had just set, and they were camping in the woods, just above the base of Mount Coronet. Brock was putting the finishing touches on his signature stew.

"Damn it, quit seasoning the food and serve it! I am _starving!_" Natty complained. "When was the last time we ate? Lunch? Because it feels like it's been days."

"It was lunch," Misty replied. "You're just… another Ash." She spooned a bowl of stew for Natty, who started eating it ravenously.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ash demanded.

"She means that you used to be a black hole that had a particular interest in food," Brock said around a mouthful of stew. He swallowed noisily. "And now we have another one."

"Oh, Mew, this is good… Brock, why don't you make this more often?" Natty said, oblivious to the conversation around her. "You've been holding out on me!"

"Yeah, Brock's food is one of the things I miss most," Ash said, eyeing the stew sadly.

"Aww, don't be sad, Ash," Misty said. "I'm sure he'll make you a pot once we've got your body back."

"And I will eat it _so hard_…"

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu sniffed at the soup.

"You want some, buddy?" Misty asked. She ladled some out in Pikachu's bowl, and he ate it noisily.

"What about you, Brian?" Brock asked. "You want some?"

"No thanks," he replied quietly. "I'm not very hungry."

"You're being really quiet, Brian. Is something wrong?" Natty asked.

"No… no, nothing's wrong." He stood up. "But I'm going to head up the mountain for a bit. I'll be back soon, though." He started to walk away from the camp. "I just need to be alone for a little while."

They watched him go. After he was out of sight, Brock asked, "What's up with him?"

"I think I might know," Misty said. Everyone looked to her. "He told me a few months ago that he lost the girl he loved in a rock slide on Mount Coronet. That's what made him give up on his Pokemon journey."

"I know. He told me too…" Natty remarked. "So you think that being on the mountain is reminding him of Diana?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Misty replied.

"Did he say where it happened?" Brock asked.

"No, just that it was on Mount Coronet."

"Hmm…" Brock thought. "Maybe the rock slide was near here."

"You don't think…" Misty started.

"That he's gone to see where it happened?" Brock finished. "Maybe. We could always ask him."

"Would he tell you?" Ash asked. "That seems kind of personal."

Misty shrugged. "He might, but I don't think we should pry."

"If you say so," Brock said. He stood up and stretched. "Well, that's about all I've got. I'm going to sleep."

"That's probably a good idea," Misty agreed. "I'll get out the sleeping bags."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Ash asked.

"You could talk to me," Natty said. "I'm waiting for Brian to get back before I go to bed."

"I'm starting to sense a lot of lonely nights for me," Ash said gloomily.

"Well, that's the price you pay for friends willing to ignore their own lives to help you out," Misty said. She moved to him and hugged him, then whispered "And you know you can… bring me out, if you want somebody to talk to."

"You could also pull any of our spirits out," Natty added. "I've always wondered what it's like."

Misty flew away from Ash, exploding at Natalia. "Don't eavesdrop, damn it! That wasn't for you!"

"Don't whisper so loud, then," she suggested.

"I… you…" Misty turned around in a huff, and started pulling out sleeping bags furiously.

* * *

Natty stared into the fire anxiously. She glanced at her Poketch, noting the time. It had been nearly two hours since Brian had left, and he still wasn't back yet. She was starting to worry.

"That's it," she declared, standing up. "I'm going after him."

"You want me to go with you?" Ash asked.

She shook her head. "I'm going on my own. There's no reason for him to have been gone this long… if I can't find him soon, I'll come get help."

"Good luck, then."

"I won't need it," Natty said. She pulled out a Pokeball. "I know how to find him. Come on, Houndoom!" She called out the Dark-type Pokemon. He started to howl, before she quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shhh! They're sleeping. Houndoom, I need your help. Can you track Brian for me? Here." She gave him Brian's backpack to smell. Houndoom sniffed it, then lifted his head, looking around. He started in the direction that Brian had left, and she followed Houndoom into the trees. Ash watched her go in silence, then turned to watch his friends sleep.

Natalia followed Houndoom up the mountain, and the trees thinned out as they went further. Soon they were walking on bare rock, and Houndoom was struggling not to run ahead. She could tell that they were getting close to him now. Natty ran behind Houndoom so he could go a little faster.

Then there was a flash of light around a bend in the path. She stopped running for a second, surprised. Then she heard a groan from around the corner, and she ran to help.

On the ground, she found Brian, holding his head and moaning.

"Brian!" She yelled.

He looked up in surprise. "Natalia?"

"Yeah, it's me. What happened? What was that light?" She looked around, searching for some kind of source. There was a burn on the mountainside next to the path, but that was it. "Did you have a Pokemon out?"

"Ugh… I don't know. I don't think so. I was searching… I found where Diana fell." He gestured over the edge of the path. In the moonlight, she could barely see a random assortment of boulders below. "I was going to say something, and then… I guess I blacked out. I dreamed, though. Something about… A kingdom? Or maybe a forest? And there was a green guy... I… I don't remember." He frowned. "It seemed… important. I can't explain it."

"But what was the light?" Natty asked.

"I don't know. I just woke up a second ago, and then you came over."

She moved to help him up. As he stood, he stepped on a long, thin piece of wood. Or at least, it appeared to be. As he stepped off of it, he saw the moonlight shine off the handle.

"Huh?" He picked it up. It seemed heavy. "What's this doing here?" He grabbed it by the handle, and the wood slid partially off. Underneath the wood was a black blade.

Natty looked at it with him. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think it's a sword, then I think so." He pulled it out of the wood, which was obviously revealed now to be a sheath. The blade was black metal, with a slight curve along its length. "But what the hell is a sword doing here?"

"I don't know… this is weird. I think you should leave it alone."

"I don't… I think that I was supposed to find this. It's too much to be coincidence. Who else but me would be walking on this particular path?" He sheathed it. "I think I'll keep it. You know, I've always wanted a sword. I don't know why… I can't use one. But I've always wanted one anyway."

"Whatever… come on, I want to get away from here." Natty pulled at his arm.

"Sure… just give me a second alone. I just want to say my piece, and then I'll go."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be around the bend when you're done being crazy."

Brian faced the cliff. "Huh. I don't know why I'm here… I guess any place is as good to talk to you as this. But I just felt like I should come here, since I was so close anyway."

He closed his eyes. "I just want you to know that I've made new friends, and I'm still alive. I don't think I'm where I would have been if you were still here, but I'm moving forward. Just… it's harder without you." Tears started to roll down his face. "I miss you, Diana. I want you to know that, wherever you are. Although I guess I know where you are now… thanks to Ash. Did I ever tell you about Ash? He's a ghost… you know, when I met him, I thought for a minute that maybe you were like that too, and someday you'd pop up to see me again… but I guess not. You're wherever his mom is now. But at least I learned that I'll be able to see you again someday. And I'm going to wait for that day."

He sighed. "I still love you, Diana. I don't know if you'd want that or not, but I do. And I hope you heard that… before you went. I wouldn't want you hooking up with some random stranger in the spirit world, after all." He laughed. "That would be my luck. But I probably shouldn't complain. I imagine I'll find someone to love before I die, anyway… man, I bet a lot of people do that. I wonder if it's awkward for them when they die and all the people they loved meet up. I imagine it is.

"Hmm… Maybe I'll come back here some day. I don't know. I probably will… I think someday I'll put a monument up here for you. I doubt you'd like that… probably too formal for you. But I'll do it anyway, because you deserve to be remembered.

"Goodbye, Diana. My friend…"

He turned and walked around the curve. Natty was sitting there, waiting.

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it," she admitted. "That was beautiful, Brian."

Brian shrugged. "Meh… maybe it was. Well, I got out what I wanted to get out. Let's go."

They walked together back to camp, Houndoom leading them along the way.

When they returned, Ash was waiting for them. "Oh, good," he said. "I was hoping you'd find him."

"Yeah, she did," Brian said. "Thanks for coming for me, Natalia."

"Don't worry about it," she responded. "Now, let's get to bed. Houndoom, thanks for your help." She patted his head. "Return." Then she crawled into her sleeping bag, clothes and all. "I hope every night isn't as adventurous as this one was."

"Are you kidding? That's what being a trainer is all about!" Brian exclaimed.

"I'm not a trainer," she replied cattily. She closed her eyes.

"You know what I meant…" Brian took off his jacket and Pokeballs, and got into his own bag.

"Have a good rest," Ash said. He put out the fire, and the camp was silent.

* * *

But not all was quiet in Sinnoh that night.

In Veilstone City, plans were being made.

"Report."

The lackey stood at attention. "Sir, the Spear Key has been activated, and the material for the Red Chains collected. Azelf has been captured by J, and the others will be under our control soon."

"Good. And the orbs?"

"They are being taken to the Celestic Town Historical Research Center. In two days, they will all be in the same place."

"And that is when we will strike. And the flute?"

"It's in the same place as the orbs, sir, at the research center."

"Then we'll have to pick it up as well. Perhaps Quasar can shed some light on its real purpose."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. And the ruins on Iron Island?"

"Mars is on her way there with the Spear Key as we speak, sir. She should arrive by tomorrow morning."

"And then we will know exactly where the entrance to Spear Pillar lies… Excellent work, Saturn. Prepare the Team; the assault on Celestic will take a large portion of our resources, and we cannot afford to fail at this critical point; there will be no second chances."

"Yes, sir." Saturn left his boss's presence.

"So much time and effort," the boss mused. "But so far things have gone even better than I expected. No opposition at all… and if things proceed on schedule, then this world will fall even sooner than I had hoped. And from the void left behind, I will forge a new world… one without emotion, without joy or pain… without spirit. Sweet, blessed oblivion."

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, seeking that very same oblivion in a few moments of peaceful sleep.

Bad guys need their rest too, after all.

* * *

No frills, just **Notes: **

Whew… Sorry about the long wait. Hiding this story from my family is difficult. Anyway, I hope you liked chapter eight. It was kind of hard to write, but I struggled through it. Oh, I got stuck so many times in the hospital, and the afterwards… part… thingy. But I did my best. Hope it didn't suck too much.

I killed Delia, and for that I apologize. But _somebody_ had to reveal what no one knew, and no one could know: where are all the spirits? And can Ash join them? Now that those questions are answered, no one else will have to die senselessly. (Note that last word, there.)

I don't like funerals. They are boring, and you may have noticed that I basically skip them. I will continue to do this, unless of course one happens that has important details in it. Then I will be forced to elaborate.

Hmm… I think that I'll reveal the full teams that each character is carrying now. You know, because I can, and because it's a bit important to know, because there are going to be battles coming up. Anyway…

Misty is carrying Starmie, Staryu, Seadra, Goldeen, Psyduck, and of course Pikachu. (Remember, Ash has no Pokemon, so one of her slots naturally goes to our Pika-pal.)  
Brock has Onix, Geodude, Crobat, Marshtomp, and Sudowoodo.  
Brian has Slifer the Dragonite, Komodo the Charizard, Haunter, Steelix, Espeon, and Roserade.  
Natty has Alphonse the Alakazam, Houndoom, Pidgeot, and Slicey the Scizor.  
And… that's everybody!

Airports are my favorite places. Just saying.

Huh. A sword? A kingdom and a forest? And what was up with the flash of light? Well, I know, but that will not be revealed for a long, long time. I'm talking about, it will be a different story than this one. But that's not so important to this story… Man, though, it feels good to get that out of the way. That scene has been in my head for… oh… five months? Maybe a little more. It seems unimportant, but it's the birthplace of a whole new line. A line that's already been begun, incidentally. You may not know, but… well, maybe one of you is a genius who will figure it out. That's your challenge for this chapter. And forever, really. If somebody can figure it out, I'll tell you, but I won't tell everyone until the information is revealed naturally.

And ooh, I'm feeling Team Galactic! I've modified their plans, but they're similar to the anime. I have so many crazy ideas that I wonder at how I could possibly cram them all into this story. But yes, we do have an antagonist, and his name is Cyrus! Woo! Because what did Ash and friends need if not _another _obstacle. Joy!

I feel obligated to tell you that I have elected to join the United States Air Force. I am already in the delayed entry program, and as such, I will be leaving for Basic Training sometime in the next few months. After I leave, I will have eight and a half weeks when I will almost definitely be unable to write at all, and absolutely will not be able to post new chapters. If I get lucky, I will finish this story before the day comes for me to leave, but I can't make any promises. I could leave in two weeks, or eight months, or anywhere in between. But I promise, no matter what, that I will finish this story, no matter how long it takes.

But I doubt any of you care about that. I hear you all… you're crying "Who won the contest? What's the new title?" Or maybe those are just the voices in my head. Well, my friends, there was a winner. And surprisingly, it was NOT me! It was the wonderful **Werewolf of Suburbia**! And she gave the title "Of Destruction and Creation". Obviously, I flipped the words. But still, she helped the most, so there you go! New title that makes more sense! Ash is destroyed, and they have to recreate him. It will make even more sense after a few chapters go by.

Well, that's all I've got.

Hey, I totally don't own Pokemon, okay? Don't sue me, please. I put too much effort into this to end up getting sued for it.

Oh, one more thing! Do you know what happened this morning at about two o'clock? I'll tell you! I got my _**ONE HUNDREDTH REVIEW! **_Yes, it's true! Thank you a million times to everyone who has ever reviewed. And, also, please review this chapter. Anybody think we can get to two hundred before the story ends? I do! So let's do it! Together! Tell me all my faults and all my strengths, or give me a recipe because _I need some sesame chicken!_

That's everything! I'll catch you after the next chapter, when our heroes will have some fun with Cynthia and meet our villains, the notorious Team Galactic!

This is James, aka FTEcho 4, signing off! See ya!


	9. The Two Roads to the Pillar

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Nine: The Two Roads to the Pillar_

"Walking walking walking, that is what we're doing, walking walking walking down the mountain."

We rejoin our protagonists three days later, as they head down the slopes of Mount Coronet.

"Walking walking walking, that is what we're doing, walking walking walking down the mountain."

The trip had gone by with little difficulty for the group, but four of the five were at their collective wits' end.

"Walking walking walking, that is what we're doing, walking walking walking down the mountain," Natty sang gleefully as they went. She was having the time of her life leading her friends, but not being able to see them was putting her in danger at the moment.

"The way I see it, we're better off without her at this point," Misty whispered. "You and I both know if we all team up, we could kill her before she even looks. Or we could have Pikachu paralyze her and leave her in the woods. I really don't care, as long as I never have to hear that song again."

"Oh, come on," Brock whispered back. "She's just enjoying herself. It's not her fault her method is so…" He grit his teeth as Natty started another cycle. "So very annoying.

"No, Brock. She was enjoying herself for the first hour," Brian hissed. "I'm pretty sure around hour three it became a plot to annoy us to death. She's already driven Ash into the sky. I don't even think it counts as murder if we kill her at this point. We can write it off as self-defense."

"Okay, Brian, we jump her on three," Misty said. He nodded in response. "One… two…"

Suddenly, they bumped into Natty as she stopped. She also stopped singing, which might have saved her life.

"What is it, Natty?" Brock asked, as Misty and Brian nearly collapsed in relief.

"Look." Her voice was unusually reverent, as though she was gazing upon all the wonders of the universe. Her eyes had lit up, and the best word to describe her face was "rapture."

"What is it? I don't see," Misty said. They all glanced over the fields beside the path, but there wasn't anything special: trees, grass, rocks, and a couple of Pokémon. Exactly what you'd expect to see on the slopes of Mount Coronet.

Natalia pointed to one of the Pokémon. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

"What?" Brock asked. "It's just a…" he stopped, realizing what Natty was going on about. "Pachirisu."

She laughed. "Yes! Yes it is! And it is _**MINE!**_" Natty started sprinting towards the squirrely blue and white Pokémon.

"Hey, wait up!" Brian yelled. The group started to run after her.

"_Never!_" Natty cried back as she ran. "This is why I'm here! I _have_ to get that Pokémon!"

"It'll still be there if you walk, you know!" Misty replied. Natty only laughed again in response.

"Go, Slicey!" Natty threw out a Pokéball as she ran, and out of it came Slicey, her Scizor. He materialized in front of her, and as he turned to face Natalia, she blew past him, spinning him around.

"Scizor?" He turned around again in confusion, and started flying after his trainer.

"No time to lose, Slicey!" Natty ordered. "We've got a Pachirisu to catch!"

But it just couldn't be that easy.

As Natty approached her long-awaited Pokémon prize, a boy and girl stepped out from the trees towards Pachirisu. They were both short, with matching brown hair and eyes, and wearing worn out jeans and T-shirts. From their apparent ages and the twin belts of Pokéballs around their waists, they looked like beginning trainers.

"Ooh!" The girl exclaimed as she spotted the Pachirisu. "An Electric type! That would go great with Geodude and Zubat. And it's so cute, too!" She reached for a Pokéball, and raised her arm to throw it.

"Aw, _hell_ no!" Natty yelled as she came on to the scene, catching the two kids' attentions for the first time. She stopped on the other side of Pachirisu. "I saw it first, and I came all the way from Kanto to this spot so I could catch _that_ Pachirisu." She pointed vehemently at the Pokémon, which now looked very confused at what was going on.

"Pachi?" It said, looking back and forth between the trainers surrounding it.

At that moment, Brian, Misty, Brock and Pikachu all arrived behind Natty.

"What's happening here?" Brian asked. "Who are you two?"

"I'm Brittany, and this is my brother Jacob," the girl explained. "And I want that Pachirisu!"

"I saw it first!" Natty exclaimed. "And I want it more!"

"Well… huh," Misty said. "I guess it's stupid to ask, but is either of you willing to just let it go?"

"**No!**" Natty and Brittany yelled together. Their eyes locked in harsh glares over the Pokémon.

"It seems like there's only one fair way to end this, then," Brock reasoned. "You two need to battle for the right to capture Pachirisu."

"But that's not fair!" Brittany exclaimed. "She's got to be five years older than me, and I'm just getting started."

"Brittany," Jacob said. His voice was strangely quiet, as though he wasn't accustomed to talking, and the group on Natty's side had to strain to hear him. "They're right. You're both trainers, and the best way to see which of you deserves the chance is to battle to see who the best trainer is."

"Oh… fine," the sister responded. "But it has to be short, okay? We've got to keep moving or we'll never get eight badges before the Sinnoh League!"

"I'm good with a one on one match," Natty agreed. "I'll even pick first, to give you a bit of an advantage. I'm going to use Slicey here." She patted Scizor to indicate him to the girl.

"Whatever," Brittany replied.

The two battlers moved into the field, giving their collected friends and family a wide berth. As they moved away from each other to give their Pokémon space to battle, Brock ran forward to referee.

"This will be a one Pokémon battle with no substitutions," Brock began as he reached them. "The trainer with the last Pokémon able to fight will be the winner." He raised his arms, yelling "Go!"

"Get out there, Slicey!" Natty commanded. Her Scizor moved out onto the field.

Brittany grabbed one of her Pokéballs. "Okay, I'm really glad that you're my starter right now… Get out there, Monferno!" She tossed the ball up, and the burning chimp popped out.

Natty paled a little. "Huh… I was kind of hoping you'd have a Grass-type." The one thing a Steel/Bug type like Scizor was weak against was fire, but it was _really_ weak against fire. If Scizor got so much as grazed by an Ember, he'd be devastated, so he would have to be fast enough to evade every Fire-type attack Monferno sent his way.

As though she had read Natty's mind, Brittany ordered "Ember!"

"Crap crap crap _crap!_ Dodge it with Agility!"

Monferno shot fireballs at Slicey, who flew circles around his foe to dodge them. As he flew behind Monferno, Natty yelled "Aerial Ace, Slicey!" The Scizor made a sharp turn, banking towards Monferno's back. As he flew, one of his claws shone white, and before Monferno could turn and dodge, Slicey slammed the claw into his back, sending the unlucky Pokémon flying forwards.

"Monferno, get up and use Flame Wheel!"

"Slicey, dodge again and use Air Slash!"

Monferno caught himself as he flew, rolling out of his flight and turning it into a front flip. He turned on his hands, so that he landed facing his opponent. Then he jumped into a flip at the Scizor, surrounding himself with fire as he flew. Slicey used his improved speed from Agility to fly under Monferno, and as he flew by, Slicey struck at him, ending the flip and sending Monferno high into the air.

Natty smiled wide. "Now finish him with Razor Wind!"

Her Scizor flapped his wings quickly, and sent shining crescents of force at his airborne foe. In midair, Monferno had no way to dodge, and so each of the strikes hit home. They buffeted him higher and higher until Slicey stopped the attack. Then Monferno fell, and he hit the ground hard. Even before the dust sent up by the impact settled, everyone knew who the winner was. And indeed, when it did, Monferno was in no shape to battle.

"Monferno!" Brittany ran out to her Pokémon, falling to her knees beside him.

"Awesome, Slicey!" Natty cheered. "I love you so much!"

"Natalia and Scizor are the winners, and so they get to battle Pachirisu," Brock declared.

"Where did Pachirisu go, anyway?" Brian asked.

"Pi ka!" Pikachu called. He stood a ways off, talking to the wild Pokémon in an attempt to explain the situation.

Natty ran towards him with Scizor. "Stand back, Pikachu! Let's get this over with!"

Pikachu ran to Misty and jumped on her shoulder, leaving Natty and Pachirisu in a stare down. Finally, Natty ordered Scizor to begin with Quick Attack, and the battle began.

Meanwhile, Brock apologized to Natty's opponent. "I'm sorry about her," he said sheepishly. "It's just that she _really_ wanted a Pachirisu, and she was kind of crazy about it. She's not usually this mean to anyone or anything. She's really a very nice girl."

"It's okay," Brittany said sadly. "She _was_ the better trainer."

Brock laughed. "No she wasn't. Natty's a breeder. That Pachirisu is going to get pampered beyond all recognition if she catches it. I doubt it would ever battle again!"

"What? That's stupid!" Brittany said, huffing angrily. She sighed. "Well, that's her choice. By the way, we never did get your names."

"Oh, yeah. I'm Brock, the Gym Leader for Pewter City in Kanto, and the girl who just beat you is obviously Natalia." He pointed to the other two travelers. "The girl over there is Misty Waterflower, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City. And the guy is Brian Edwards, Misty's assistant and friend."

"Wow!" Brittany replied, eyes growing wide at the mention of the two Leaders. "What are people like you doing all the way out here in Sinnoh?"

Brock sweatdropped. "Uh… that's kind of a secret. No offense. I'd tell you if it was up to me, but it's not. And I wouldn't ask Misty, because she'll just run off and take us all with her. Misty's really protective of A… her secrets."

"Oh," Brittany said simply. "Well, it was nice meeting you all, but we really do need to get going. There's a Gym Badge in Eterna City with my name on it."

"Thank you for being so nice about this," Brock said. "And good luck on your journeys."

"You too," Jacob replied in that same quiet voice. "Let's go, Brit."

"Don't call me that!" And with that, the pair took their leave, following the same path up the mountain that Brock and his friends had just come down.

Brock sighed in relief, and turned to watch the end of Natty's battle. He was just in time to see Natty throw a Pokéball at the downed Pachirisu, pulling it inside. Given her determination, it was hardly any surprise when the Pokéball stopped shaking, indicating that the Pokémon inside was indeed hers.

"Whoo! Ha ha ha!" Natty pumped her fist in the air as she leapt for joy. She ran over to where the Pokéball lay and raised it high above her head. "I caught Pachirisu!"

"Da da da Daaaaah!" Brian sang. As Natty glared at him, he continued, "Don't raise stuff you get over your head if you don't want me to Zelda it up."

Misty stood next to Brock, tapping her foot impatiently. "Are we done with the stupidity here?" she asked. "Because if we are, we have a meeting in Celestic to get to. Come on!" She and Brock turned and started walking towards the path, leaving Brian and Natty to catch up.

"Well, that was a nice break from standard procedure," Brian said to Natalia as they started after their friends.

"I'm sorry, but I can't hear you over how awesome this moment is," she replied, rubbing her hard-won Pachirisu's Pokéball on her face.

Brian looked at her disconcertedly. "Please stop doing that."

They rejoined Misty and Brock, and resumed their course to Celestic Town.

"Walking walking walk—"

"_**No singing!**_"

* * *

"At long last, we have arrived at our destination!" Brian said majestically. "Ah, what a glorious feeling it is to be travelers." He had run ahead of his friends specifically so that he could pose in front of the first sight of Celestic Town in a sad attempt to be awesome. He had one foot on a fence post, with his head tilted up, one hand held high and one hand on the handle of the blade that now hung uselessly from his belt. Natty, Brock, Ash and Pikachu walked by him in silence, and Misty only took the time to push him over before she walked towards the town as well. As he rose up, spitting, he noted "This dirt tastes even worse than Kanto's!" before following after Brock.

"Well, where are we headed?" Misty asked Brock, since he was the only person in the group to have seen their destination before.

"We're meeting Cynthia at the Celestic Town Historical Research Center," Brock answered. "It's on the north edge of town, so once we get into the town proper it'll be about a ten minute walk there."

"I really hope this meeting isn't too long," Ash said. "I hate not being able to talk to anyone."

"Speaking of which, Ash, you probably need to hide yourself," Misty noted. "We'll be running into other people soon."

"Aw, man…" Ash grumbled. He faded from their sight. "But I'm going to keep talking until I see someone."

Together, the group trekked through the town. After they had walked for a while, Brock stopped and looked around. "Hey," he said, "is it just me or are there a lot of vans around here?"

And there were. Just in their sight, at least four blank black vans were parked in random locations around the town. Even stranger was the fact that the windows each van were completely tinted, so that nothing could be seen inside.

"We don't have time to worry about vans, Brock!" Misty exclaimed. "We're so close to learning all about Arceus, and I want to get this done!"

"You sure are in a hurry, Misty," Brian noted. "I mean, it's not like not talking is going to get us there any faster."

"You're right," Misty agreed. "Let's run!" And she took off, leaving the others behind.

"Misty, wait!" Brock yelled after her.

"Why?" She called back, still sprinting north.

He pointed to the rather large building they had been in front of when Misty had started running. "This _is_ the Research Center!"

In a flash, Misty was back with them, panting "Well, why didn't you say so?" before she grabbed Brock's shirt and dragged him through the front door.

Brian and Natty looked at each other and shrugged, then followed after their friends with Pikachu bringing up the rear.

"Aw, a museum? That's no fun."

This was Natty's first reaction upon seeing the inside of the Center's public areas, which did bear a strong resemblance to a history museum.

"From the name, I was kind of expecting it to be some sort of super-awesome lab or something," Natty complained. "Museums are boring."

"Just be quiet for once, Natty," Misty snapped. "We're not here to sightsee. We're here to meet Cynthia."

Brock consulted a slip of paper in his hand. "According to Professor Oak, we're supposed to meet her in the Origins Room. And we need to tell the staff that we're here to see her, since she's actually in the work areas right now. I think those are the 'super-awesome labs' that Natty was expecting."

"I'm on it," Brian said. He looked around, and spotted an information booth.

"You need something?" the informer asked casually as the four teens approached.

"Two things, actually, ma'am," Brian replied. "One, can you tell us where the Origins Room is located, and two, can you inform Master Cynthia that Brian Edwards and his friends are here to meet with her? If she doesn't recognize the name, just tell her we're from Professor Oak."

The woman sighed and pointed. "The Origins Room is down that hall, second entrance on the left, which you would know if you bothered to read the signs above your heads. And I'll be sure she gets the message." She stood and slowly walked out of the back of the booth, into the private areas of the facility.

"Wow. Well, that was rude," Misty said, a bit needled.

"She did have a point, though," Brock said as he looked at the sign above the booth pointing out the different exhibits. "It was sort of obvious."

Together, they walked through the museum to the aforementioned Origins Room. On their arrival, they could see why the room had that name. The room into which they walked was entirely centered on the Arceus myth and the three Dragons of Sinnoh. The walls were covered with information on the myth, Arceus, the Three, and important places to the legends around Sinnoh.

"Wow," Brock said, looking around. "I can see why she wanted to meet us here. I'd bet everything we need to know is either in her head or on these walls."

Brian pointed at the room's centerpiece. "Question: why is the Ocarina of Time in here?"

They walked over to the item he was referring to. It was a blue flute under a glass case, beautifully carved and by all appearances as old as time itself.

Misty read off of the plaque under the case. "It says that this is the Azure Flute. Um… there's an ancient legend that says that the flute can be used to summon Arceus if it's played in the right place. The researchers who studied it couldn't find anything special about it, though. It seems to them that it's just a flute. It belongs to a family in Celestic Town… Cynthia's family!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Brian said flippantly. "I know the Ocarina when I see it. Hold on…" He pulled off his backpack, and started to rummage through it, looking for something. "No, no… ha!" He triumphantly pulled out his prize.

His friends sweatdropped. "Uh, is that…?" Natty asked.

"This is a replica of the Ocarina of Time," Brian proclaimed, proudly holding up the little blue instrument.

"And you have that for what reason?" Misty asked.

"One, I'm a Zelda nerd. Duh. I spent two weeks on this game not long ago, and I sang the "Get Item" theme, like, thirty minutes ago. How does this surprise you? And two…" He held up the flute to his mouth and played a quick _Bolero of Fire_ before pulling it away again. "I took the time to learn how to play the damn thing, and I like to. But anyway, just look!" He held up the replica to the glass case, so they could see it at the same angle as the Azure Flute inside.

"Huh," Brock said. "It's…"

"It's..." Misty echoed.

"It's pretty similar, isn't it?" A female voice said behind them. "There's no triangle thing on the mouthpiece, but other than that, they're nearly identical."

The group turned, and found themselves face-to-face with the very person they had come to meet: Cynthia, Pokémon researcher and Master of the Sinnoh Region.

"Hello. I suppose you would be the group who came to see me?" she asked them.

"Yes, of course!" Misty said enthusiastically. "I'm…"

"You're Misty Waterflower, Gym Leader of Cerulean City," Cynthia interrupted with a smile. Misty's eyes lit up at the recognition. "Yes, I've heard about you. You had the best gym record in the nation this year, if I remember correctly. There's quite a buzz around you, you know. But don't you have a water gym?" The Master pointed at Pikachu. "That's quite an odd travelling companion for someone whose self-described goal is to be a Water Pokémon Master. Even if he is the cutest thing I've ever seen." Cynthia winked at him, and gave his ears a quick scratch.

"Chaaaa…" Pikachu said happily.

She moved on to Brock. "Hmm… Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that you're Brock Slate, the leader of Pewter?"

"Yes, that's right, but how did you know?" Brock asked.

"As a Master, I make it my business to keep up with all the leagues, not just Sinnoh's. We always have to be on the lookout for potential Elites." Now her gaze shifted onto Brian. "As well as up-and-coming trainers. You're Brian Edwards… I saw you fight the Elite Four of Hoenn a few years back. Those were some top-notch skills you displayed. It's not often I see someone defeat even one Elite." Brian visibly swelled at her praise.

As she moved her eyes onto Natty, Cynthia frowned. "Hmm… I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a trainer?"

"Um… I have a training license, but I'm really a breeder," Natty explained. "I don't do the whole League thing. My name's Natalia Brown, but everybody calls me Natty, because otherwise I hurt them."

"Okay then. It's good to meet you, Natty," Cynthia said. "Well, now that introductions are over, I think we should get down to what you came here for. You have questions, and I believe that I'm the top resource for information about Arceus. So what do you need to know?"

"Hmm…" Brian said. "Well, here's the thing. We, or I at least, have done our own research on Arceus. We know what he can do, and all of that. So we're not so much looking to _learn_ about Arceus. We actually need to find him ourselves."

Cynthia blinked once in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"It's the truth," Misty said. "We need something that only he can give us. We don't even know if he would be willing to do that, but we can't know unless we find him in the first place."

"And you want my advice on that?" Cynthia asked.

"That's right," Brock said.

Cynthia shook her head. "My advice is to forget about it, and learn to live without whatever you want from him."

"We know how insane we are!" Natty replied loudly. "But that doesn't change the fact that we _need_ this. It's not something we can just go without. A life is literally on the line." Misty felt Ash grip her hand at that statement, and she nodded in agreement with Natty.

The Master sighed softly. "Well… if you're desperate, I'll tell you all I know. But it's impossible, for more than one reason."

"And those are?" Misty asked.

"Well, for one, you're running off ancient legends." She pointed to the flute behind the group of teens. "No one actually knows if that thing can summon Arceus to anywhere. It's all in the myths. The one around the Azure Flute has been kept by my family for as far back as we can remember. They say that if the right song is played at Spear Pillar, a portal to Arceus' home in the Hall of Origin will be opened. But even if we assume that the story is true, there are still more problems. One of those is that the song has long since been forgotten. And another is that the Pillar is locked, and…" Cynthia hesitated.

"And?" Brian spurred her on.

"We don't know where the entrance to the Spear Pillar is anymore. But even if we did, it wouldn't help us any. There was an ancient stone, the Spear Key, which was housed in the Celestic Ruins up until very recently. The Spear Key, once activated, acts both to locate the door to the Spear Pillar and open the door once it has been found. My grandparents were so worried about the Key's safety, that they wouldn't even allow the Research Center to look at it. But the Key has been stolen."

"Stolen?" Brock echoed. "By who?"

"We don't know," Cynthia said. "Sinnoh's police force has made finding that Key their top priority, but they haven't found anything yet. It's as though it just vanished. And if those who stole it plan to use it, the whole world may be in danger. You have no idea of the powers housed on that peak. They're strong enough to remake the universe… or destroy everything," she finished dramatically.

"But how could they get Arceus without the flute?" Natty asked.

"Arceus isn't the only force with that much destructive power," Cynthia stated grimly. "The three Dragons have more than enough by themselves. And what's worse, they're far more violent than the Alpha Pokémon. Arceus might have the power, but he wouldn't use it without just cause. Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina could destroy the world in their bickering and think nothing of it."

Cynthia's audience shivered collectively at the thought. "That's terrible," Misty murmured.

"But how would they summon those three?" Brian wondered. "I mean, it can't be as though they just sit around, waiting for someone to show up and control them."

"Of course not," Cynthia agreed. "And that is one thing that we do have on our side." Cynthia walked across the room, to a stand where three empty glass cases sat, waiting for the items that would be placed inside. "There are three artifacts that can summon the Three if they're taken to Spear Pillar." She pointed at each case in turn. "First, the Adamant Orb that calls Dialga. Second, the Lustrous Orb, which summons Palkia. And finally, there's the Griseous Orb, which calls Giratina to the Pillar. Fortunately, _those_ are all accounted for. In fact, they're the reason I'm here. The third Orb arrived here today, and I was studying them before I came to speak with you."

"That seems kind of dangerous," Misty said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "Knowing that someone stole the Key, doesn't it bother you that you have so many artifacts in this one building?"

"Yes, it does," Cynthia replied worriedly. "But that's part of why I'm here: protection. You see, I didn't just come here because the Orb arrived. I guarded the Griseous Orb on its way here myself. And I'm going to oversee the installation of a new force of security guards before I go. Although…" Cynthia bit her lip. "The security company is late. I had expected them to be here long before you came. It's enough to worry me a bit."

"I don't think it's much to worry about," Natty assured her. "After all, how would anyone know that the Orbs are here, or that the company is late?"

"Unless…" Brock said.

"Unless what?" Cynthia asked, instantly alert.

"Well…" Brock continued, "When we first arrived here, we noticed a bunch of blacked-out vans parked outside. We didn't think much of it at the time, but if you're already worried about thieves…"

"It might be worth checking out," Cynthia completed, already moving towards the entrance.

* * *

"Commander!"

"What is it?" Commander Saturn said, turning in the cramped space of the van to face the low-level member who had called for him.

Looking up from his surveillance equipment, the grunt said, "Those trainers who just walked into the facility spotted us. They've alerted Cynthia, and if we don't move quickly we'll be discovered!"

"Then we'll move quickly," Saturn replied calmly. He picked up a radio and held it so he could speak to his troops. He said: "Attention, Team Galactic. The timing of our mission has been compromised. We must strike now, before we are discovered. Move out!"

From seven identical vans parked in various spots around the Historical Research Center, fifteen Galactic grunts and two Commanders moved towards the facility and started the assault.

* * *

Cynthia walked quickly, with Misty, Brock, Natty, Brian, and Pikachu following behind her. "No matter what, we _can't_ let anyone get their hands on the Orbs. It's bad enough if they know that they're here at all; the only people who should know that are me, Flint, and Lucian, since we delivered them ourselves, and the scientists here. If that information was leaked, then we might have a mole."

"But who—" Misty started to speak, but she was soon cut off as the building shook around them.

"Earthquake?" Natty shouted quizzically.

"No, I think we're under attack!" Cynthia yelled back.

Another, smaller explosion came from the back of the Research Center, affirming Cynthia's supposition.

"Come on!" Cynthia led the group back the way they had come, back towards the Origins Room. But before they arrived there, she led them through a door marked Employees Only, into the private sectors of the facility.

"Wow!" Natty said as they ran through a packed laboratory. "Now _this_ is what I'm talking about!"

"No time to sightsee, Natty!" Misty shouted. Up ahead, they could see smoke pouring out under a closed door ahead. But when they reached the door, it wouldn't open.

"They've locked us out, and the Orbs are in there," Cynthia said, reaching for a Pokéball and throwing it as fast as she could. "Garchomp, open this door!"

The blue Dragon erupted from the ball and immediately smashed through the door, allowing the group of trainers to follow him inside.

The lab was in total disarray. One of the walls had been blown apart, allowing at least a dozen uniformed men to ransack the room. They could see three stones in the hands of three separate men, each of whom was frozen in the act of carrying one of them towards the hole in the wall. Indeed, the entire operation had frozen upon the arrival of the Master and her fellow trainers.

A blue-haired man in a slightly different uniform from the rest took charge. "What are you doing? Move! Cover the Orbs!"

Likewise, Cynthia cried out "Get those Orbs back!"

Immediately, the four trainers grabbed for their own Pokémon. But they weren't the only ones to do so. Before they even had time to call anything, they were already facing a veritable sea of Dark and Poison Pokémon.

"Pikachu, get out there!" Misty ordered. Pikachu nodded, and then stood before her, ready for battle.

"Go, Marshtomp!" Brock ordered out his chosen Pokémon.

"Um, I guess the best would be Alphonse…" Natty said timidly, tossing out her Alakazam.

"Slifer, move out!"' Brian called as he released the Dragon.

For a moment after all the Pokémon were out, no one moved. At least twenty Pokémon stood between Team Good Guys and the three Orbs, with more certainly waiting on the intruders' side, and anticipation of the battle to come laid thick in the air as each individual sized up their opponents.

Finally, Cynthia made the first move. "Garchomp, use Dragon Rush on the first Pokémon you can reach!"

Garchomp rushed at a nearby Weezing, slamming into it and instantly knocking it out, and the battle began.

* * *

As the battle was raging in the back of the Center, four men and a woman walked calmly through the front door. They walked past the fleeing scientists, following the same path that four trainers had followed a few minutes before. Soon, they came into the Origins Room, and their leader, the woman with a ridiculous purple hairstyle, approached the lone old scientist there.

"Researcher Leon?" The woman said to the scientist.

He bowed. "Yes, Commander Jupiter. But please, call me Quasar."

Jupiter decided to humor him. "Fine, then. Quasar. You received the message that the operation had been moved up, then?"

Scientist Quasar huffed. "Indeed I did. I was hardly given five minutes to prepare, though. What's the hurry? Did you really expect that no one would be here to slow you down thirty minutes from now? Nothing has changed."

Jupiter ignored the comment. "Is the flute ready or not?"

"Ah." Quasar turned around and fiddled with the glass case for a moment. "Yes. I was successful in switching the replica of the Azure Flute usually displayed here with the genuine article." As the latches came free, he tore away the glass case and threw it aside carelessly, letting it shatter on the tiles. With slightly trembling hands, he removed the flute from the cushion it lay on, and turned to face Jupiter. "This is the most incredible artifact I have ever seen. Normally, it's an ordinary flute, but every note it plays alters the energy readings in the area around it _noticeably_. It took all of my credibility and deceptiveness to make sure that that knowledge was kept from every other researcher."

"A job you did admirably," Jupiter replied. One of her lackeys stepped forward, holding open a briefcase with a special foam compartment form-fitted to the Azure Flute. Quasar placed the priceless artifact in the case, which was immediately closed, locked, and handcuffed to Jupiter herself.

"Come, Quasar. Your work at this Research Center is over. You're needed for reassignment at Veilstone Headquarters."

"Yes, sir!" Quasar followed his superior out of the building, where they took two of the seven vans and proceeded to drive away.

Just before they moved out of contact with the rest of the assault force, Jupiter radioed Commander Saturn with this simple message: "The flute is clear. Proceed with extraction and return to base." Then, her job complete, Jupiter threw her hands behind her head, lay back, and congratulated herself for the perfect heist.

* * *

"Weezing, use Sludge!"

"Um, blow it back with Whirlwind, Pidgeot!"

"Crobat, Leech Life!"

The air in the lab was thick with smoke and attacks, and hardly anything could be heard over the combination of explosions and yelling trainers. Luckily for the trainers trying to defend the lab, none of the thieves so far had been very good battlers in their own right, and so each of the defenders could take on several opposing Pokémon at once. However, fighting so many opponents was wearing down their Pokémon by attrition if nothing else. Already Brock's Marshtomp and Natty's Alakazam had fallen and been replaced by Crobat and Pidgeot.

A sudden lull came in the fighting on one front, as Brian's Dragonite and Cynthia's Garchomp used a double Hyper Beam to blow away several of their opponents at once.

"We can't keep this up forever, Master Cynthia," Brian said.

"They're losing Pokémon faster than us," Cynthia assured him. "If we just keep this up, they'll have nothing left to use. Then we'll have them."

Out of the corner of her eye, Misty saw the blue-haired man who appeared to be in charge raise a radio to his head. He nodded, then gave a silent signal to the men holding the orbs. Immediately, they began to move towards the hole in the wall.

In response, Misty yelled, "Cynthia! They're taking the orbs out!"

Cynthia's eyes snapped onto the grunts holding the artifacts as they moved towards the makeshift exit.

"No, they will not!" She exclaimed. "Garchomp, use a Hyper Beam on the ceiling above the hole!"

"Gar!" The Pokémon recovered from his recent Hyper Beam, and began to charge another one.

"Hmph." The blue-haired leader grabbed at a Pokéball and threw it out, revealing a light cyan Toxicroak. "Toxicroak, block that Hyper Beam with a Poison Jab." Toxicroak flew up, into the path of Garchomp's attack, knocking it aside with his own. Of course, this sent the Poison Pokémon flying across the room to land on his back, but his job was done. The hole was still open.

But Misty was determined not to let all their efforts be in vain. "Pikachu, stop those men! Use a Thunder Wave to paralyze them!"

"Pi ka!" Pikachu leaped up, giving him a clear path over the crowd of men. "_Chuuuu!_" With the skills born of years of training, Pikachu sent three thin fingers of electrical energy out into the crowd, each of them striking one of the orb holders and paralyzing them.

"Great job, Pikachu!" Misty cheered.

"Finish what Garchomp started, Slifer!" Brian ordered. "Hyper Beam to collapse the hole!"

With a roar, Dragonite sent the beam lancing above the heads of the trainers. This time, the commander of the other side had no time to call a counterattack, and the attack struck true. It threw rubble down from the ceiling, blocking the escape of those within. Now they would have to make it past the combined forces of Cynthia, Misty, Brock, Natty and Brian if they wanted to escape.

But even with this development, the opposing commander seemed at ease. He nodded to another agent, who pulled out five Pokéballs and threw them all. Out of them appeared three Electrodes and two Weezing.

The blue-haired man commanded "Smoke Screen!" and the two Weezing complied, sending thick smog to fill the room, until no one could see anything. Then they heard the commander yell "Team Galactic, recall all Pokémon and congregate in the center!"

A chorus of "Yes, Commander Saturn!" resounded through the lab. Through the smog, flashes of red could be seen as his orders were followed. Cynthia's side was confused at this development, but then Brock realized what was going to happen.

"Guys!" He shouted. "They're going to destroy the wall!"

In confirmation, they heard the commander yell, "Electrode, Explode!

An enormous explosion shook the room, sending the trainers to their knees. They heard Team Galactic troop away.

"Guys! Is everyone okay?" Cynthia asked.

"Pidgeot, Crobat, blow away this smog!" Natty said.

A strong wind blew through the lab, sending the smoke out through the recently devastated wall. But as soon as the smoke was gone, they almost wished that it was still there. Without it, they could see the ceiling begin to sag. The repeated explosions had finally taken too much out of the structure, and it couldn't hold any longer.

"We've got to get out of here!" Brock shouted in panic. The trainers started to recall their Pokémon as fast as they could. Crobat, Garchomp, Slifer, and Pidgeot were quickly returned, and the trainers started to run for the door.

But they were too late, and the damaged ceiling finally crashed down upon them.

* * *

"Misty! Please wake up…"

Misty felt a splitting headache the instant she awoke. "Wha?" She opened her eyes to see two worried faces over her own.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, licking her face.

"Misty!" Ash hugged her the moment she sat up, then helped her stand. "I'm so sorry. I tried to help you, but I couldn't stop all of the falling ceiling. A piece of it hit you on the head and knocked you out for a few minutes."

"How is everyone?" Misty said, looking around. She had lain out next to Cynthia, Brock, and Brian.

Ash grew somber. "I've searched, and I pulled out these three. They're all banged up, but I don't think they're too badly hurt. But… I can't find Natty, Misty. I don't know where she was when it came down. I only found these three because I could see them behind you while I tried to keep you safe, so I knew where to look. But I don't know where Natty was in all of this." He gestured behind him.

"Well, we've got to search!" Misty replied, beginning to dig through the rubble. Ash quickly joined her.

"Ugh…" they heard behind them. "Why do I always end up tasting dirt?" Brian sat up, and looked around. "Guys!" He stood up shakily, and one of his ankles buckled. He took off the sword and sheath he was wearing so he could use it as a makeshift cane, and then limped over to Ash and Misty. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone out here is alive and seems okay, but we can't find Natty!" Misty said as she dug out and threw aside a chunk of ceiling and pipe.

"What?" Brian cried. "No!" He quickly pulled out a Pokéball and released the Pokémon inside. "Espeon, please tell me you can sense Natty in this!"

"Eon!" Espeon looked shocked upon seeing the state of the building, but she soon recovered. The gem on her forehead glowed, and Espeon ran through the rubble. She pointed to a pile with a cry.

"Is she in there?" Misty asked, following the Psychic type. Espeon nodded.

"Use Psychic on the pile, and pull as much off her as you can without collapsing it," Brian ordered. Espeon's gem glowed once more, and most of the rocks lifted up and away, revealing Natty's head and part of her body.

"Natalia!" Brian said, hobbling quickly over and throwing the remaining wreckage off of her.

Misty and Ash walked over. "Is she…" Misty started to ask, but she couldn't complete the question.

Brian pulled her free, cradling her head as he laid her back down. Of the five buried trainers, Natty looked the worst off. She was covered in bruises, and her forehead and torso were badly cut and bleeding heavily. "I dunno," Brian replied shakily. He raised a trembling hand to her neck, feeling for her pulse. "I don't feel anything…"

A dead weight seemed to settle onto Misty's and Ash's chests. Natty, the brightest light of their group… dead? They couldn't believe it. "No, she can't be gone," Ash protested. "Espeon found her by feeling her mind, right?"

"Wait, that's right…" Brian moved his hands about, feeling again and again. "Hold on… I've got it. It's so faint, though…" He looked up at Misty fearfully. "We've got to get her to a hospital."

"Then let's…" Misty began. Then she saw Pikachu's ears pick up. "What is it, Pikachu?"

"Pi ka!" Pikachu pointed outside. Misty strained to listen, and she heard it: faint sirens approaching.

"Either police or ambulances are coming, Brian," Misty said. She looked around. "It's about time, if you ask me. Ash, if you want to stay hidden, you've got to disappear."

Ash looked extremely unhappy at this, but he sighed, said "Fine," and then vanished. "But I'm not leaving your side, Misty," he added from the air. Misty felt him grab her hand, letting her know he was there. She had to admit that it was comforting, empty gesture though it was.

A few seconds later, a police car and an ambulance arrived on the scene, parking on the lawn right outside the ruined lab.

"What in the world happened here?" Officer Jenny cried, running over to the still-unconscious bodies of Cynthia and Brock.

"We were attacked by some thieves," Misty said. "Before they left, I think one of them said they were called Team Galactic."

"We can talk about that later," Jenny replied. "First, we've got to get these people to the hospital! Is everyone here okay?"

"Everyone's alive," Brian said, "but this girl needs help now."

"From the looks of things, you all do," Jenny agreed.

"Fine, we'll go, but her first!" he ordered.

"She does look the most banged up," the officer acquiesced. She turned to the ambulance, waving over the paramedics. "Hey! We've got two people and a Pikachu conscious and three people unconscious, one possibly critical! Get a move on!"

Instantly, the paramedics moved out, bringing a stretcher for Natty first.

"Carefully now," one of the men said, as he took Natty out of Brian's arms.

"No, you think?" Brian snapped back acidly. Then he shook his head, and took a deep breath. "Wait… I'm sorry. I don't mean to be that way. It's just stress."

"Don't worry about it, son," the paramedic replied. "I've seen worse. People tend to get crazy when the people they care about get hurt."

"Yeah…" Brian agreed. He limped over to stand by Misty and Officer Jenny. They watched as another ambulance arrived, this once taking up Brock and Cynthia. And soon, more police were arriving as well. The Jennys moved over the ruined lab, already looking for evidence pointing to who these thieves were.

"Hey!" One of the officers called out. "We've got a live one over here!"

"What?" Misty looked at Brian. "Who could be left?"

They walked over to the officer, trying to see who was left. As they saw who it was, Misty's and Brian's faces hardened.

"That's one of the men Pikachu paralyzed," Misty spat.

The Jennys were instantly alert. "One of the thieves?"

Misty nodded. "They must have left him in the confusion."

"Does he have one of the Orbs?" Brian asked hopefully.

The Jenny who had found him checked his hands. "Nope… he doesn't have anything."

Misty sighed. "They must have grabbed it from him right when he was paralyzed." The trainers' faces fell. They had hoped that at least one of the orbs might have been dropped by a paralyzed thief.

"Come on," The first Jenny said, after their friends were all in ambulances on their way to the hospital. "I'll take you to the clinic, and you can get checked out with your friends. You'll have to give a statement about what happened at some point, though. And hopefully we'll get something out of this man." Jenny slammed a fist down onto her open palm. "We've got to catch the monsters who did this."

Misty nodded. "Let's go." She walked beside Brian on the way to Jenny's police cruiser, and soon they were in the back on the way to the hospital.

* * *

"Wha-!"

Brock sat up the instant he awoke, startling the paramedics in the ambulance.

"Calm down," a female paramedic said, lightly pushing him down onto the makeshift bed. "You're all right now."

Brock held a hand to his head. "Ow… What happened? Where is everyone?"

"The ceiling collapsed, remember?"

"Cynthia?" Brock turned his head to see the Master. She had apparently awoken on the ride to the medical center as well.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Somebody pulled us all out of the rubble. From the paramedics, I gather that Misty and Brian woke up at the scene, and they should be with Officer Jenny. But that girl…"

"Natty?" Brock interrupted with alarm. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Cynthia said sadly. "They said she was alive, but she didn't look good. She's being taken to the hospital in another ambulance. If they treat us and let us go, as I suspect they will now that we're awake, we should be able to go see her."

"Oh, no…" Brock trailed off. The rest of the ride to the hospital passed in slow silence.

The hospital they arrived at minutes later wasn't a "hospital" in a strict sense; Celestic Town just wasn't big enough for one of those. Instead, they were at a Pokémon Center which was outfitted to treat human patients, the best accommodations that could be reached without taking a helicopter flight to another city. Since they were awake and their cuts and bruises had been treated before they arrived, Brock and Cynthia were just sent to a waiting room with Brian and Misty until a doctor could see them.

The first words out of Brock's mouth were, strangely, "Where's Pikachu?"

"He's getting patched up on the Pokémon Center side," Misty said. "Luckily for him, I covered him up as we fell, so he was mostly safe. He's just a little scratched up and tired from the battle."

"How's your friend?" Cynthia asked, voice laced with concern.

"We don't know…" Brian murmured. "She's alive, but she hasn't woken up. That's all they've told us. They won't let us in until the doctor looks at us to make sure we don't have any internal damage."

Cynthia looked stricken. "I'm sorry. I should have told you to leave and kept you safe."

"It's not your fault," Brock said.

"He's right," Brian said softly. "It's not your fault. It's mine."

"Don't say that, Brian," Misty scolded. "How could you have stopped the roof from collapsing?"

"No, it is my fault!" Brian cried out. "I did the research. I had the idea for us to come. I even had Oak set up the damn meeting here! If not for me, we would have been safe and sound back in Kanto."

"And Ash would have no chance at recovery," Misty replied.

"I should have left well enough alone," he mumbled resolutely, not even registering Misty's words.

At that moment, a physician walked into the waiting room. He looked at his charts. "Brian?"

The boy stood up. "That's me."

"Come with me, and we'll get you checked out."

"Sure thing," he replied glumly. He followed the doctor out, and the room was left in an uneasy silence.

The silence however, was quickly broken by the Master. "Excuse me… who is Ash?" she asked, confused.

"Uh…" Misty went blank. "Ash is…"

Suddenly, something seemed to click in Cynthia's mind, something she had seen but not believed. "Was he the ghost?" she blurted out eagerly.

"Whaa?" Brock and Misty yelled in shock.

"Well, right when the ceiling was coming down, I saw a boy pop out of nowhere and try to cover Misty," Cynthia explained. "And later, I thought I heard a boy's voice I hadn't heard before talking with her. I thought I had just been knocked silly, but was that Ash?"

Brock and Misty looked at each other. Brock sighed. "You know, we really suck at keeping him secret."

"I've noticed," she replied dryly. "Cynthia, Ash is—"

Ash's voice cut through Misty's response. "I'm Ash." He appeared next to Misty, still holding onto her hand. "I'm the reason they've come here."

"So that's why you had all the questions about Arceus?" Cynthia asked slowly. "You want him to make you a new body?"

"Exactly," he replied. "We're all here to find him, and when we do, we're going to ask him to recreate my body."

"That's actually kind of…" Cynthia trailed off.

"Insane? Desperate?" Brock suggested.

She laughed. "I was going to say brilliant, but those work too."

Misty and Brock chuckled a bit.

"You're going to have to tell me all about Ash at some point, you know," Cynthia said. "I'm very curious about him. I might even have asked some questions, if not for the Orbs…" Cynthia looked troubled as she mentioned them.

"What about them?" Brock asked.

"Don't you see?" Cynthia said grimly. "It's clear now that someone is trying to summon the Three Dragons, and they've already got all they need. We have to assume that the people who stole the Spear Key are the same as the thieves we faced today, or at least they're answering to the same boss. That means that they have everything they need to find Spear Pillar, open the door, and summon the Dragons. And we don't even know where to go to stop them!" Sinnoh's Master sighed heavily, and started absentmindedly twirling her long blonde hair. "If we can't find where this Team Galactic operates, the whole world could be in terrible danger."

"But why would anyone want to just unleash the Dragons?" Misty asked.

"That's the one thing I don't get," Cynthia said. She paused. "Well… that's one of the things I don't get. Why would they want to do that? What could anyone possibly gain from the destruction of the world? But that doesn't matter. There's nothing else they could do with the Key and Orbs, so we have to assume that they plan to use them."

Ash, Misty and Brock thought back to what Cynthia had said about the Dragons. "This is bad," Brock said lamely.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Ash asked.

Cynthia shrugged. "Not that I know of, at least right now. I think you've all done more than anyone could have asked of you already. And, really, I don't even know what to_ do_ next."

"Maybe the thief they captured will have some clues," Misty said.

Cynthia gasped and stood up. "They caught one of the thieves?"

"Oh, that's right! You and Brock were still out of it!" Misty replied. "Yeah. One of the orb holders Pikachu paralyzed got left behind. They took the orb from him, though."

"That's great!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Finally, we've got some kind of lead."

At that moment, the doctor came back into the room with Brian, causing Ash, Misty and Brock to freeze.

"Okay, Brian, you're free to go. Miss Cynthia?" The doctor blinked, and looked up. "Is this right? Master Cynthia?"

She sighed at the recognition. "Yes, that's me."

"My apologies, ma'am. If I had known it was you, I would have seen to you first."

"I would actually prefer if you didn't give me any special treatment," she replied.

"Well, come on back anyway." Cynthia followed the doctor into the examination room.

Ash, Misty and Brock breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Wow," Misty said. "I'm surprised he didn't notice you, Ash."

"Maybe he just didn't care," Ash guessed.

"So Cynthia knows now." Brian correctly deduced. He raised an eyebrow quizzically. "How did that happen?"

"Just… don't ask," Brock said, shaking his head. "The short version is, everyone who spends more than five minutes with us finds out nowadays."

"Yes, that seems pretty accurate," Brian replied quickly. "Anyway, I'm good to go. The doctor said my ankle was sprained, but other than that I'm fine. He braced it up for me. So I'm going to see Natty now."

Misty nodded. "We'll be there soon."

"Good luck." With that, Brian limped away.

* * *

"Hey, guys."

"Natty!" Misty said happily. "You're awake!"

"Pichupi!" Pikachu jumped onto the bed and licked at Natty's face

"Hey, cut it out, Pikachu!" Natty said, laughing weakly. "Yeah," she replied once Pikachu had stopped. "I'm fine."

Brock followed Misty into the room, shutting the door so Ash could appear. "How bad is it?"

"It's not too bad." Brian sounded extremely relieved. "The worst of it was blood loss, but…"

"I'm type AB-positive," Natty interrupted, voice regaining a bit of its usual cheer. "So I can receive any blood type. I think that they gave me all they had, though."

"We were really lucky," Brian finished. "No broken bones or serious internal injuries. Natty needed stitches for her head and chest, and I'm going to have to wear a wrap on my ankle for a while, but I think other than that we came out okay."

"Does she know about everything that's happened?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, Brian's already filled me in," Natty said.

"Good," Brock said, sitting down. "So where is Cynthia?"

Brian shrugged. "We don't know. She hasn't showed up yet."

A knock came at the door, and Ash disappeared.

"Hello?" Cynthia walked in. "Oh, good, you're all here."

"Yes, but this room is getting a bit cramped," Ash said, reappearing.

"Oh, you know about him too?" Natty noted upon Ash's appearance.

Cynthia sat, looking down. "Yeah, I figured it out."

There was no mistaking the glum tone. "What's happened, Cynthia?" Misty asked.

"It's even worse than we thought." Cynthia groaned. "I was just with Officer Jenny. They've been looking over the security footage from in the museum, and it seems that the Azure Flute has been stolen, too. And what's more, Researcher Leon went with them. At least now we know who the mole was."

"What did he do?" Brock asked.

"Leon was the person who studied the Azure Flute, of course. Which means that now we have to question everything he ever told us about it."

"Oh, no," Brian murmured.

"What?" Misty said. "There's even less point to summoning Arceus than there is to summoning the Three. He wouldn't destroy the world, and they couldn't hope to control him. Why is that…?" Misty stopped, realizing what Brian meant.

"What is it, Misty?" Brock asked.

"I know," Ash said bleakly. Brock, Natty, and Cynthia looked at him. "Don't you see? We need the Azure Flute to summon Arceus. Obviously, if Leon told them to take it, he must have realized that it was the real thing. But now…"

"Now they have it," Cynthia completed. "And you can't do anything unless we get it back."

"So… is this it? We're through already?" Natty asked quietly.

"No," Brian said, standing up. "We can't give up hope yet."

Misty sighed. "Well, what the hell do we do?"

Ash stood up and he nodded to himself, as though he had reached some internal resolution. "The only thing we can do," he said, voice rising with determination. "They stole it from the Center. So we've got to steal it back."

"No!" Cynthia exclaimed, drawing everyone's eyes. "What are you, crazy? You've done enough. I can't thank you all enough for helping today, but this is a job for the police and the League now."

"No offence, Master, but we can't just give up now," Natty stated with unusual calm.

"Look at you!" Cynthia pointed at her. "You've gone up against these people once, and you're already in the hospital!"

"But that was before we knew what we were up against," Brock said. "Those thieves only got away because they surprised us."

"Yeah," Misty added. "If we had known that we were going to be in a fight, we could have won easy."

"Pika chu!" Pikachu agreed fervently.

And also, we've got him." She hooked a thumb and pointed it at Ash. "Who in the world is going to be better at sneaking into Team Galactic's base than a ghost?"

Cynthia put a hand over her eyes. "You're all…"

"Insane?" Natty said brightly. "Yes, we are. That actually seems to be our specialty."

That succeeded in charming a laugh from Cynthia. She shook her head. "You know what? I don't think I'm going to stop you. I don't know how you could do it, but then again, I don't know how I could either." She smiled. "Maybe fate brought you here to help."

"Maybe it did," Ash agreed.

"I've got to go," Cynthia said. "I just wanted to make sure you were all okay, or at least as good as you could be after a day like today. I need to be with Jenny, and be around to make sure I get all the information there is from the thief we captured."

"Good luck, Master Cynthia." Brian said, bowing. "And thank you for seeing us today."

"No problem! And good luck to all of you, too." She laughed. "Maybe if we all work on getting the Orbs and the Flute back, at least one of us will succeed." She walked out of Natty's room, leaving the group inside wondering what their next step would be.

* * *

"You… you… you _idiot!_"

Commander Saturn was taken aback. "Sir, our mission was a complete success!" He had never heard Cyrus raise his voice before.

"There is more than the mission to think about, Saturn!" Cyrus exploded. "If you had made this kind of mistake earlier, you might have ended the entire operation right there!"

"What do you mean, sir?"

Cyrus waved a hand. "Commander Saturn, did you _count_ your men after the mission?"

Saturn paled. He had not.

"No? Well, then, it may come as a surprise to you that you left one man short. In other words, _you left an agent behind._ A man who the police can now milk for information. A man who can lead them right to us! Do you realize what you've done?"

"Sir, I apologize. In the smoke and confusion, it was impossible to tell where everyone was."

"No excuses, Commander." Cyrus sighed. "I must admit, you did complete your mission. The three Orbs and the Azure Flute are all accounted for. And you have had impeccable performance in the past. So I'm letting you off."

Commander Saturn relaxed visibly. "Thank you."

"Don't think that I'll forget this. No more mistakes or I will have to take action."

"Yes, sir!"

"You may go. Send in Commander Mars on your way out."

Saturn walked smoothly out of the office, and was immediately replaced by a red-haired woman in a similar uniform.

"So?" Cyrus asked.

Mars unrolled a map of Mount Coronet and laid it on Cyrus's desk. On it, a set of coordinates were marked. She pointed to them.

"The mission was a success. Once at the ruins, the machine and Key pinpointed the location of Spear Pillar, which turned out to be right here."

"Outstanding work, Mars. Then all that remains is locating the other two Pokémon of the Lakes and activating the Red Chains."

"And I have some more information on that front," Mars stated. "We recently received word from J that she's captured Uxie."

"Already?" Cyrus was surprised. "Impressive. I may have to see about giving her a bonus." He snickered. "Not that she'll be able to use it once we're done."

Mars was already becoming restless. Reporting to her superior wasn't her thing: she needed a job to do. "Sir? What is my next assignment?"

Cyrus handed her back the map. "Did you notice anything odd about the coordinates you just gave me, Commander?"

"Well…" Mars paused. "They appear to be several hundred feet underground, sir."

"Good girl." Mars bristled a bit, but wisely chose to stay silent. "Then you'll understand your next mission. I need you to organize and oversee operations on Mount Coronet to excavate the site."

Mars grimaced. Management work, then. "Yes, sir…" She gave a half-hearted salute.

"Move quickly, Mars. That site should be excavated _before_ the Red Chains are activated, or we'll be in trouble. Dismissed."

Commander Mars nodded quickly, then walked away without complaint. She prided herself on being a professional, and damned if she wouldn't act like one.

* * *

Dun dun dun… another one bites the dust.

Da da dun dun dun… another one bites the dust.

And another chapter's done, and another one's done, another one bites the dust.

Hey! I've got some **Notes** for you, another one bites the dust!

Kick it!

Whoo! There we go. Chapter Nine complete. Now we know how to summon Arceus, where to do it, and who they have to beat to do it! And we've been injured. That's sad. Anyway, here we go!

The Pachirisu scene. I've been planning that for a while, and it felt like a nice calm before the storm, before we got into the serious battles and such. Yay.

Zelda. That's two references this chapter. And yes, I am well aware that the Azure Flute sprite in DPPt looks nothing like the Ocarina of Time. But hey, I can dream, can't I? I'm a Zeldarian. And that's actually a bit more important than you think. If you've played Ocarina of Time, then go walk around the Spear Pillar in the game; see if you can find what I mean. If you _haven't_ played Ocarina of Time, then get the f##k out. You're not welcome here (until you've at _least_ gained access to Zora's Domain).

Uh… the meeting may have made Cynthia seem kind of hopeless. I hope not. I just wanted to illustrate how wildly impossible and stupid their plan is on the surface. Doesn't mean it won't succeed, though!

Battle from nowhere. And I'm sure I'm not the first to notice how everything always happens _right_ as Ash and friends show up. I tried to give a plausible explanation for why Team Galactic chose that exact moment to attack. Also, I introduced the new character of Quasar, since there was never a Team Galactic member in charge of the Azure Flute for painfully obvious reasons. He was actually suggested to me by my little brother. I liked the idea, so I included it. He'll be more important later on.

There are never any consequences for things in the anime. Ever! I wanted people to really get hurt. Not badly, but bad enough to show that these people are _human_ (except Ash, kind of) and they can be injured and killed (except Ash, kind of).

That being said, I _hate_ hospital scenes with a passion. Seriously. H-A-T-E hate. They'll be leaving the hospital really soon.

And Team Galactic's plan is moving apace quite nicely. Kind of sucks for the protagonists, but they'll get their comeuppance! Maybe.

It may seem like I stopped mid-scene. Well… Yeah. I kind of did. I could have kept going, but that would have meant this chapter would be about twice as long before I actually got to a stopping point. (The next scene is long.) Or I could have cut it off much, much earlier, and left you a cliffhanger. But I didn't, because I'm not a jerk.

Still no word on the Air Force front. I'll let you know when I know.

Still wanting votes on my Profile Poll. (I saw someone actually voted that they wanted me to stop publishing stories and die in a ditch. That made me laugh.)

Still don't own Pokémon. I did finally set up my word processor to add the é automatically, though. So now it never says Pokemon. Wait. Damn it!

And, finally, I decided to change this story to "Romance/Supernatural" to "Romance/Adventure" because the Adventure side seems to have overtaken the Supernatural side.

Um… I think that's it. So that's that! Chapter Nine is yours, take it or leave it. (Please take it.)

Write me a recipe for Sesame Chicken, or maybe a review. Please?

This is your author, James, signing off once more! Um… next chapter… I think we'll find Mesprit. Somebody will, anyway. And we may find the trail to Team Galactic at last! See you then!


	10. Galactic Triumphant

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Ten: Galactic Triumphant_

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"

Misty yawned mightily as she woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she scanned the camp for any other early risers. As usual, she was the first one awake. Unless, of course, she counted Ash, but he was nowhere in sight. Not that it meant anything that she couldn't see him, but as early as it was, Ash was probably still out exploring the area. In an effort to be as useful as possible, Ash was scouting out the area around their campsite every night looking for shortcuts through the area, clues, and (though he never actually said so) Team Galactic bases.

Misty's mood went from bad to worse at the thought of Team Galactic. So far, they hadn't found a single clue as to where the Team was hiding: not a grunt, not an operation, not anything. And the grunt they had captured hadn't given them any useful information, not even to save his own hide. All they now knew was that their adversaries were definitely named Team Galactic, and (if the grunt could be believed) they were already nearing their goal. As for what the goal was, or where the Team could be found, the man had spoken not a word.

Unwilling to give up, Misty, Brock, Ash, Brian, and Natty were now visiting every location that had a shred of connection to the Sinnoh mythology, hoping to find some clue as to what Galactic was up to, and secretly hoping to run into Team Galactic themselves. In the two weeks since they had left the hospital in Celestic, they had visited the Solaceon Ruins, which had gained them nothing, and now they were coming up on Lake Valor, where one of the Lake Guardians was supposed to reside.

Misty was starting to worry about their chances of actually accomplishing their mission, and she wasn't the only one. Every day passed without progress: no evidence, no tracks, no word from Cynthia. It was draining the vigor and drive of the group to keep going without any sign of success. Everyone, even the ever-vibrant Natty, was far more subdued than usual. It was taking all they had to keep going, and then there was the constant time limit hanging over their heads. A quarter of their two months was already gone. Misty expected that as it closed in they might be able to stretch it a few weeks more, but to what end? Without finding Team Galactic, they had no chance at stealing back the Azure Flute; without the Azure Flute, finding Arceus was an impossible dream. And even _if _they got the Flute back, they would still have to figure out where the entrance to Spear Pillar was! The obstacles had piled up to the point that Misty didn't know how they could ever get through them all.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

Misty looked across the campsite again. In her daze, she hadn't noticed Natty wake up and start moving around.

"Oh, the usual," Misty replied. "We're on a wild Pelipper chase, and we're all doomed to failure. That sort of thing."

Natty sighed. "Misty, I know it's hard, but you've got to stay positive. Moping won't help us find Team Galactic any faster. It'll just put you in a bad mood, and then everyone's day will be ruined."

"I know, I know." Misty leaned back and lay back down on her pillow. Then she sat back up. "Wait, why everyone?"

Natty turned to face Misty with a smirk. "Have you ever been around yourself when you're in a bad mood? It doesn't make for a good day, let me tell you."

Misty grumbled. "You're not helping, you know."

"Whatever," Natty said, pulling out an assembly of pots from Brock's bag.

"Are you going to cook breakfast already?" Misty asked curiously.

"No, that's Brock's job," Natty answered. "My job is to make sure everyone is up bright and early so we get in as much travel as possible."

"Who gave you that job?"

Natty grinned. "I did!" And with that, she began banging the pots together as loud as she could, yelling "Wake up time, boys! Come on, everybody up! We've got a big day today!"

Brock and Brian shot up at the cacophony, while Pikachu simply grunted, covered his ears and kept right on snoozing.

"Where's the Darknut?" Brian asked unthinkingly, apparently still half dreaming.

Brock, on the other hand, had more pressing concerns. He stared at Natty in horror. "My cookware!" he cried, sounding almost wounded. He scrambled towards her and grabbed one of the pans away from her, examining it for damage. He let out a cry. "You scratched my favorite pan! How could you?"

Natty looked at it. "Where? I don't see."

Brock pointed a quivering finger, proclaiming "There!" At the point he indicated, a tiny chip had indeed been knocked in the pan.

Natty laughed. "Wow. Get over it, Brock. Don't they ever get scratched up when you travel?"

"No, they do not! I take very, very careful care of all my cooking stuff!" Brock started to cry. "And now you've ruined it!"

"Oh, come on, Brock," Natty said sheepishly, patting him on the back. "It'll be alright."

As Natty comforted Brock, Brian and Misty looked over their map and started planning the day ahead.

"Well, my best estimate says that we're right around here." Brian drew a small circle on the map.

Misty eyed the distance between the circle and their destination. "So if we get on the road early, we should be at Lake Valor right at lunchtime," Misty said.

"Assuming Ash doesn't take us on a 'shortcut,'" Brian added, air-quoting the last word. He was obviously remembering the day last week when Ash had tried to lead them through the woods, trying to cut an hour off their travel time. In the end, it had ended up adding six hours to it. Ever since then, Brian had been wary of letting Ash give them any advice on where to go.

"Just let it go, Brian," Misty replied. "You know he was just trying to help."

"Well, it wasn't helpful," he muttered.

"Anyway, we should probably train for a while before we go," Misty said. "I don't want to get rusty, and the Pokémon need the exercise. And that way, we'll be on the road for lunch. I doubt anyone's going to be interested in eating once we actually get there."

"Yeah, that's true," Brian agreed. "Especially if the Team's there."

"They're not."

From above, Ash finally returned to the site. His eyes were downcast as he landed.

Brock and Natty looked up from the oatmeal they were making for breakfast. "Who's not?" Brock asked.

"Team Galactic isn't at the lake," Ash explained. "I went over there last night to check. There is a research station there, but I doubt it's them. It looked legit from the equipment I saw, and I don't think there could be enough of them to be Team Galactic."

"Well… hell," Misty said. "What now?"

Brian shrugged. "I say we check it out anyway. I mean, we're almost there already, so why not? Worst case scenario, there's nothing there."

"I vote with Brian," Natty agreed.

Brock nodded. "Why not?"

"Well, that's that, then," Misty finished. "We train for an hour, then we're on the road to Lake Valor."

"Great," Ash said flatly. "I'll be… I don't know. Somewhere."

Ash walked off aimlessly through the woods.

Misty watched him go. "Hey, Brock? Brian? I'm going to leave my Pokéballs here for a bit. If you start training before I get back, could you take care of my Pokémon, too?"

"Pikachupi?" Pikachu ran to her side and looked up at Misty questioningly.

"Thanks, Pikachu, but no. You stay here too. Don't worry, I won't be long."

"Pi ka." Pikachu ran right back to his food.

"Where are you going?" Brock asked.

Misty motioned her head towards the forest where Ash had gone. "I think Ash needs some support, or something. I'm going to go talk to him alone."

"Well, get out of here, then," Natty said with a wave. "Go take care of your boyfriend."

Misty rolled her eyes at Natty's comment, then followed Ash's trail into the woods.

It didn't take her long to find him. In the early morning, with the sun not even fully risen, Ash shone through the half-light of the dawn like a torch. After a minute or so of walking, Misty spotted the blue light and followed it. She found Ash in a tiny clearing, facing the sunrise, or at least where the sun would have been rising, if not for the thick clouds that covered the sky. But Ash watching the skies wasn't abnormal. What was abnormal was his posture. Ash almost always stood tall, shoulders back and head held high. Only at his very lowest points did he falter, and so he was now. His back was slumped, his head low. He looked so defeated… Misty approached him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ash?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Ash turned to face her. "You know, Misty."

She looked down for a moment. "Yeah. I know."

"I just…" He sounded frustrated. "I don't know if we should keep going. Ever since what happened at Celestic Town…"

"Ash, we all made it out of there okay," Misty soothed. "And you know we're worried, but we're all willing to go the distance."

"I know everyone is willing to keep going, but this trip is for me. Is it right for me to keep asking you to do all of this? I feel responsible for putting everyone in danger."

Misty pulled him into a hug. "Ash, I know you do. One of my favorite things about you is how much you care about everybody around you. But you've never asked us to do this. We _want_ to be doing this. We all want what's best for you, because we love you." She smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too. And I at least _like_ everyone else." They shared a laugh, but it ended quickly as Ash continued. "That's why I'm afraid to keep going. What if one of you gets really hurt? What if someone dies?" He sighed into Misty's hair, and started rubbing a small circle on her back. "I don't know how I could exist with that on my conscience. And if I lost you…" He let the rest go unsaid.

"I know, I know, but we can't just let you go without a fight! And even if you told us to turn back, I don't know if they would listen. I don't even know if _I_ would listen."

"How do you do it, then?" Ash asked. He moved back so he could look at her. "How do you keep away these thoughts?"

She broke away from his gaze. "It's easy… I don't. I have them, too. We all do. When I woke up this morning, I was thinking the same kind of things you are now. Natty gave me a quick pick-me-up and knocked me out of it. And when she has bad thoughts, I bet Brock or Brian talks to her. We're all in this together, Ash." Misty met his eyes again. "We all have bad moments, but we keep each other strong. That's how we'll get through this."

Ash nodded slowly, then returned her smile. "Thank you, Misty."

"Anytime." They shared a quick kiss, and then walked together back to the campsite.

"How did that go?" Brock asked once they arrived.

"All is well," Misty replied cheerfully. "Ash was feeling hopeless, so I talked him through it and convinced him that we're not willing to stop yet."

"Whether we're willing or not doesn't matter," Brian remarked. "We can't ever stop. Ever. Even if Ash went home and ordered us to come with him, I would keep going, alone if necessary. This is bigger than him now."

"What are you talking about?" Misty asked. "He's the whole reason for this."

"Once, he was. But not anymore," he replied.

"He's right," Brock agreed. "It's not just about getting the Flute and summoning Arceus anymore. I mean, we _have_ to stop Team Galactic. The whole world is at stake, and it won't mean anything to bring Ash back if Team Galactic still summons the Three. The world will still be destroyed…"

"Then…" Ash paused. "We aren't just here for me?"

"Nope," Natty said, idly petting Pikachu's fur. "Not since Galactic got the Orbs. We're saving the world now. And if we can bring you back, too, then…" She shrugged. "Well, all the better for us."

Ash blinked, eyes wide with surprise. "Huh," he said. "Somehow, that makes me feel better."

Misty felt quite the opposite. Somehow, it hadn't hit her that their mission had changed before this moment. She suddenly felt as though the world was on her shoulders. She sat down. "So we're going to try to get the Orbs back, too?"

"That's what I'd figured," Brock said. Brian and Natty nodded their agreement.

"Like I said, we have to. If we find Galactic, we can't just grab the Azure Flute and go," Brian added. "Well, I guess we _could_," he amended, "but it wouldn't matter if we did. We've got to get the Spear Key, and hopefully the Orbs, or we can't even get to Spear Pillar. Not to mention that we should probably try to get the location of Spear Pillar from the Team when we find them."

"Wow," Misty said. "I knew it was going to be hard, but this just seems…"

"Insane," Natty finished blandly. "Yes, yes, we know. We've been over this."

"There's nothing for it but to do it, Misty," Brock reasoned. "So we've just got to train our best and be ready to beat Team Galactic when the time comes."

Misty breathed deep to calm herself, then nodded. "Right. Well then, let's get training!"

"Pi ka chu!" Pikachu cheered, leaping out of Natty's lap and running to his trainer.

With that, twenty Pokéballs flew into the air, and the four trainers (and one ghost) went to work.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's ten feet through those trees! I can _see_ the water from here!"

"And _I'm_ telling _you_, no shortcuts from Ash! Ever! Again! This path leads to Lake Valor, and we _will _follow this path until we get there!"

"Boys," Misty muttered under her breath.

Beside her, Pikachu and Natty silently nodded their agreement.

"Like you and Ash never fought before?" Brock replied. Misty threw him a death glare, but nothing more.

"Look, look! There's the cabin!" Ash exclaimed. "I can see Magikarp jumping out of the lake! Just turn your head and walk towards the water!"

"No!" Brian yelled back. "I will not yield!"

"You're an idiot!"

"And **you** are the worst navigator in the history of navigation! I'm surprised that you can even find your clothes in the morning!"

"I don't even wear clothes! It just looks like I do!"

"That is kind of disturbing!"

"Guys!" Brock interrupted.

Ash and Brian turned on him. "**What?**" They screamed together.

"We're here."

In their bickering, they had failed to notice that the path had finally come to the bank of Lake Valor.

"Oh." Brian said quietly.

"We would have been here faster if you'd listened…" Ash mumbled.

"So help me, I will **destroy**…" Brian started threateningly.

"Stop!" Misty yelled at them. "No more fighting! Come on, we're finally here, let's go talk with the research team Ash saw and see what information we can scrounge up."

Ash and Brian glared at one another, but neither was brave enough to face Misty's wrath.

"Fine," they said together.

"So where are they?" Misty asked Ash.

He pointed a short way around the lake, where a cabin sat surrounded by a high-tech research setup.

"Over there. I don't think they're Galactic, though, because there couldn't be very many of them in there, and they haven't done anything… evil, or whatever, I don't know. Of course, whoever they are, they were asleep when I got there, so I didn't even look at any of them. Maybe they are from Team Galactic."

"We can't just assume that, though," Brock cautioned. "We've got to at least give them a chance."

"Well, let's go talk to them then." Natty was already walking towards the site.

"Okay, but stay alert," Ash said. "We don't want to get surprised like we did at the museum."

"Forgetting something, Ash?" Misty asked pointedly.

"What do you… aw, man!" Ash vanished. "I hate being dead."

"We're working on it," Brian cracked.

"Pika!" Out of the blue, Pikachu ran towards the cabin.

"Wha— hey, Pikachu!" Misty yelled. "What is it?"

The group ran after him, around the wind-blown waves of the lake, until he disappeared into the open cabin door. Then from inside they heard a familiar voice (well, familiar to three of them, at least) cry "What the… Pikachu! What are _you_ doing here?"

"Is that who I think it is?" Misty asked. Ash groaned beside her as he recognized the voice.

"Sounds kind of like him," Brock said. "But I haven't seen him since the Kanto conference, so it must have been six years at least…"

Again, the voice came from the cabin. "Is that Brock I hear?" Pikachu came out of the cabin and was followed by a very familiar face. His spiky brown hair and flashing eyes, which had once been all Ash needed to see to start an epic rival battle, hadn't changed much. But the question remained: what the hell was Gary Oak doing in a cabin on the edge of Lake Valor?

And so Misty asked it. "What the hell is Gary Oak doing in a cabin on the edge of Lake Valor?"

"Gary could ask you the same thing, Misty," Gary said quizzically. "As for Gary, he is researching the origins of the Lake Trio, and he is very confused as to why you are here instead of Cerulean City, and why you are talking about him as though he is _not_ here."

"Sorry," Misty said, sweatdropping. "I'm confused too. It's been so long! And you're… well…"

"The same?" Gary moved out of the cabin, revealing the fact that he had grown a couple of feet. He now bore a very striking resemblance to his grandfather, Professor Oak, except without the lab coat, opting instead for a black T-shirt with purple highlights, baggy purple pants, and a gray bag on his hip.

"Pretty much," Brock noted.

"It's good to see familiar faces," Gary said. He glanced at the other two travelers. "Well, two familiar faces. I haven't met you two, have I?"

Misty introduced the pair Gary hadn't met. "These are our friends, Brian and Natty."

"Good to meet you," Brian said.

"Yep yep," Natty agreed.

"You too. I suppose that's Ash's Pikachu, right?" Gary motioned towards Pikachu.

"Yes, he is," Misty said. "So you're a researcher now? How did that happen?"

"Well, I kept training for a while after Ash's… accident. But I guess without Ash driving me to be better than he was, I didn't do very well. It felt kind of empty. Then, after spending two whole years earning eight Johto badges, I lost in the first round of the Silver Conference. After that, I had a long, hard look at myself, and decided that training had lost its appeal. So I took a job helping Gramps out in Pallet, and things just went up from there. Now I'm a travelling researcher. I still get to travel, obviously, and be around Pokémon, so it works well for me. And at the moment, I'm writing a treatise on the origins of the three Lake Pokémon of Sinnoh. And so, here I am, doing research. See that island in the middle of the lake?" Gary said, pointing over to it. "That's where Azelf is supposed to live. I'm hoping to get into the cavern on the island somehow, so I can learn something about Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie." He turned back to the quartet who had interrupted him. "But that doesn't answer the question of what _you're_ doing here."

"I'll take that one," Brian piped up quickly. "We're… well… sort of on a research expedition slash vacation."

"What do you mean by that?" Gary asked.

"Well, we're partially here on vacation," Brian lied. "Misty's been at the gym for about four years, after all, and Brock for a couple. But we're spending it looking at… um… mythical sites around Sinnoh. We've visited the Solaceon Ruins, and we passed by the Celestic Historical Research Center."

"Really?" Gary's eyebrows shot up. "That's weird. I never thought of you as the type to want to go on a research trip, Misty."

"Well, I'm kind of just along for the ride," she replied, cottoning on to Brian's deception smoothly. "Brian's the real research buff. I'm just seeing the sights."

"In truth, we're hoping to stumble upon some clue or artifact that will lead us to Spear Pillar," Brian said. _That_ was true enough, at least. "I believe you wrote something on the subject, actually… Didn't I read a paper of yours about how it relates to the mythos?"

"Yeah, I did write a piece on that!" Gary answered, delighted that someone had read his work. "What did you think about it?"

"Well, it was certainly useful to my research," Brian replied elegantly. "I thought it was extremely well written, but there was a typographical error on page… five, if I remember it correctly. I wasn't aware that Misty knew you at the time, of course, or I would have alerted her when I found the article."

"Well, that's… good," Gary said uneasily. "Do you always talk like that?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

Natty shook her head. "You sound like you're giving a lecture at a symposium, Bry. Use smaller words, like normal people."

"Oh… sorry," Brian replied, falling back into his normal speech patterns and grinning sheepishly. "I get like that when I'm talking about science to sciency types sometimes." He rubbed his neck and looked up thoughtfully. "Huh… maybe that's why Professor Oak kept asking me where my accent was from…"

"So, anyway," Brock said, breaking through the conversation. "Is there anything you know about the lake?"

"Nothing you don't probably already know." Gary said uneasily. "Just that there's supposed to be a connection between Azelf and this lake. That's all I know."

Something about Gary's tone made Misty suspicious.

"Really?" She asked.

"Of course!" He answered quickly. "How would I know anything else?"

"It may have been a while since we've met, Gary," Brock said, "But that doesn't mean we don't know you. Unless you're in a battle, you're always calm. And you aren't now." A sneaking suspicion was creeping up on Brock. He put a hand on a Pokéball as he asked, "Does the name 'Team Galactic' mean anything to you?"

Gary gaped in shock. "Wha? How could you possibly know about them?" He blurted out thoughtlessly.

"We're looking for them," Brock replied. His companions stared at him, confused as to why he had revealed their secret, but Brock paid them no mind. "Now…" Brock's tone became as hard as the Rock Pokémon he fought with. "Gary, are you working for Team Galactic?"

"No!" Gary held up his hands in a display of innocence. "Exactly the opposite!"

"Then how do you know about them?" Misty demanded.

"I'm…" Gary sighed. "Fine. The real reason I'm here is to watch for any suspicious activity at this lake. You see, there's a bounty hunter around named J. She's already captured Azelf and Uxie, and so Professor Rowan has ordered people to the research stations set up at each of the three lakes in Sinnoh, watching for any signs of activity either from her or the Lake Trio. I'm obviously manning the Valor station."

"She _caught_ Legendaries?" Brian asked incredulously. "How? Why?"

"Well, she hasn't caught them, exactly," Gary acceded. "Not in Pokéballs, at least. She has some kind of arm cannon that temporarily turns things to stone, and she's captured them that way. And based on the Galactic sightings every time she's captured one, she's catching them for Team Galactic."

"Why do they need those three?" Natty asked.

"Does it matter?" Misty cut in. "We don't need to know why they need the Lake Trio. We just need to stop them, wherever we can!"

"Why?" Gary asked. "And how do you know about Team Galactic, and why are you looking for them? Are you looking for a fight?"

"We met Team Galactic when we were at the Research Center," Brock explained. "They took something there that we need to get back, so we're looking for either the Team Galactic Headquarters, or somebody who can lead us to it."

"Why do you need the Orbs?"

"Not the Orbs, the Flute," Brian said. "We don't have any need to summon Palkia, Dialga, or Giratina. We need Arceus."

"Buh… wuh…" Gary spluttered. "The—The Original One? What in the world could you need to see _him_ for?"

Brock, Natty, and Brian all sighed as one, and looked pointedly at Misty. "Well?" Natty said.

"Your call," Brock added.

"But…" Misty looked at them, then closed her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "You know what? Fine. Tell him. I don't care. He's bound to find out in ten minutes or so anyway."

"What is she talking about?" Gary asked.

"Um…" Out of the air behind Misty, Ash's voice was heard. "Me."

Gary froze as he recognized the voice. "It can't be…" He said in disbelief. "Ash?"

The four people in front of Gary moved aside, revealing the spirit behind them. "Hey, Gary," Ash said, smiling weakly. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Ashy-boy!" Gary grinned. "You look… different."

"Yeah, dying kind of takes it out of you," Ash replied with a shrug.

"I can tell," Gary said, eyes open wide in wonder. He took a few steps forward, past the other four to stop in front of Ash. "So… ghost?"

"I like the word _spirit_ personally, but yeah, that's about it," he explained.

"How did that happen?"

Ash sweatdropped. "Yeah… no. I'm not telling the story again, Gary. Let's just say that I'm really stubborn, and apparently that counts for something when you die. I didn't cross with the other spirits. I just stuck around because I wanted to see my friends again."

"Yeah, that does sound like you," Gary acceded. He turned back to the others. "So I'm going to go ahead and guess that he's the real reason you're all here."

"Um… yeah," Misty said sheepishly. "Sorry for lying, but we're still trying to keep him under wraps to most people. That's kind of falling apart lately, though. Anyway, if we can find Arceus, we're going to ask him to create a new body so Ash will be alive again."

"That's not a bad idea." Gary gestured into the cabin. "Well, if you're looking for Team Galactic, you could join me for a while. If either the Team or J shows up anywhere in Sinnoh, you can bet that I'll be one of the first to know."

"I guess we can stick around for a while and see what we can learn," Misty acceded.

"Come on, then!" Gary walked back into the cabin, and was soon followed by Natty, Pikachu, Brock, and Brian.

Misty and Ash looked at each other for a moment.

"Remember back when people used to freak out when they first met me?" Ash asked. "What happened since then?"

Misty shrugged. "Maybe people are just more believing than we thought."

They followed their friends into the cabin.

"Oh, that's nice," Natty said, throwing off the thick white jacket she had been sporting outside.

"I didn't realize how cold I was until it was warm," Brock added.

"I try to keep comfortable," Gary stated drily.

"No offense," Brian said, looking around, "but this is not quite what I'd imagined." He gestured at the room they were in, a by-all-appearances normal living room. "I mean, the décor is nice, but where's the tech?"

"In the back," Gary answered. "I live here, you know. I need my own space."

"Where?" Brian said. He walked towards a hall opposite the front door, and glanced through a doorway. "Whoa-ho-ho-hoh! Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!" He walked in.

"Hey, hey, watch it!" Gary said, scuttling to Brian and pulling him out of the "tech room." "That's very touchy stuff in there!"

"Well, don't get your panties in a twist," Brian replied, straightening his jacket. "I was going to look, not touch."

"Well, let me show you, then." He led Brian and Brock into the cramped room. Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Natty stood around the door and watched, as they couldn't get in.

"I've got everything here tracked," Gary said. "I'm taking daily samples of the water and soil around the lake and analyzing them for any changes. There are trackers on the bottom of the lake that show me what every Pokémon in that water is doing and where it's doing it."

"Boooooooooring," Misty complained.

Gary glared at her. "Well, be that way, then." He turned again and resumed the tour. "The most important part for me is these two screens," Gary said, pointing at two colorful displays. One was shaded in blue, with slight green and yellow, while the other had a iridescent display of greens, yellows, oranges, and reds. "They track the ambient energy both below and above the lake, so I can see any strong power or heat sources."

"What's that thing?" Brian asked, pointing to the brighter monitor.

Gary glanced at it. "That's the sun," He said in a tone usually reserved for toddlers. "Obviously. Even through the clouds, it's the strongest energy source unless something else—"

"No, you idiot, I can see the sun! I mean _that_!" Brian prodded a tiny purple spot in the skies that was slowly growing in size.

"That's… uh…" Gary looked at it. "Um… that's…" He sat down in front of the monitor, cycling through several screens of data, and throwing up a few different views of the same spot in the sky, from an X-Ray image to a simple camera view. Then Gary sat back, confused. "I don't know what that is. Maybe the energy scanners aren't—No!"

On the outside view, an enormous flying craft appeared exactly where the rogue energy signature had been before. A piercing alarm started to ring out from the equipment.

"That's J's ship! She's here!" Gary leapt up and knocked Brock, Brian, Misty, and Natty out of his way, stopping only to grab a small radio before he ran back out into the winter air.

"Then Galactic can't be far behind," Misty reasoned. "Come on!" She followed after him.

"Wait, let me grab my coat!" Natty exclaimed, quickly slinging on the outerwear as the whole group filed out the door.

"How did it appear like that?" Brock asked as he arrived where Gary stood, watching the enormous machine descend and stop above Lake Valor.

"It's got a cloaking device," Gary said quickly. Then he raised the radio. "Come in, Professor Rowan. This is Gary Oak at Lake Valor. Pokémon Hunter J has appeared!"

From the tiny box, they heard the Professor reply. "I'm certain that she's come to lure out the last Legendary Pokémon. We'll be watching the other two lakes closely. Gary, do whatever you can to stop her!"

"Alright, then." Gary raised two Pokéballs. "Umbreon and Arcanine, let's go!" The two Pokéballs released Gary's favorite, the Dark-type Umbreon, and the burning wolfy form of Arcanine.

"Toxicroak, use Dark Pulse!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu dodged the attack that had come his way from behind the group, but it continued forward and slammed into Arcanine.

"Arcanine!" Gary yelled as the Fire Pokémon fell to its haunches and stayed there. Everyone turned together and faced the new threat. Between two Galactic grunts, they saw the Toxicroak and his trainer. It was the blue-haired man, the one who had attacked them at Celestic Town: Commander Saturn!

"Hmmph." He said snobbishly. "You again? I would have thought that you lot would have learned your lesson last time!"

"Team Galactic!" Misty cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Just watching, at the moment," Saturn remarked smoothly.

"Well, get lost! Umbreon, use Psychic!" Gary ordered.

"Umbryyyyyyon!" Umbreon's eyes glowed blue as she prepared the attack.

"Toxicroak, X-Scissor!" Saturn replied with a smirk.

Toxicroak lunged forward with blinding speed, striking Umbreon before she could attack. Umbreon was knocked onto her side, and she didn't get up.

"Umbreon!" Gary shouted. His eyes narrowed as he faced Saturn. "You'll pay for that!"

"I very much doubt that, boy. And I believe you have worse problems to deal with than merely us." Saturn pointed to the sky, where J's craft had finally stopped.

"What are you—" Gary started.

Ash cut him off. "Look! Below the ship!"

The ship had opened a small hatch, and a metallic object was being held out of it. As they watched, the clamps dropped away, and the object fell into the lake.

"What was that?" Natty asked.

"Just wait for it…" Saturn said knowingly.

Suddenly, a bright light shone from the lake. From the water where the object had fallen, bubbles rose to the surface.

Then the surface disappeared.

As though a great drain had been pulled in the lake, the water sank into a vortex around the drop site until it reached the bottom, where a bright ball of energy was rising through the now-vacant space.

"The Galactic Bomb," Saturn said, walking to stand near the watching trainers. "A weapon so powerful, it tears a hole in the very fabric of the universe. You see, the Lake Guardians do not actually live in the three lakes. They live in a pocket dimension of their very own, and view our world from it through portals located in the three lakes. They only truly appear in this world when they feel they are needed. But the Galactic Bomb breaks through the portal and attacks their world directly."

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" Brock cried.

Saturn smiled wickedly. "To draw them out, of course. After Azelf and Uxie were captured, Mesprit retreated to their world through Lake Valor. J is simply convincing it to come back out. And look! Here it comes!"

The ball of light that had risen from the lake, and as it did, a Salamence dropped from the airship with a human woman on its back. The Salamence flew over their heads as it rushed across the lake.

"That's J! She's going to capture Mesprit!" Gary lamented.

Brian walked forward. "Not if I can help it." He pulled out a Pokéball. "Slifer! We've got work to do!" The Dragonite roared as it appeared before them.

"I don't think so," Saturn replied coolly. "Toxicroak,-"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Misty's voice cut across Saturn's command, and before Toxicroak could even move, it found itself struck by the powerful attack. Toxicroak was blown towards Saturn but managed to land on its feet, dazed but still able to battle.

Saturn was suddenly furious. "You little—Men! Attack them!"

"Go, Brian!" Brock exclaimed as he released Crobat.

"We'll hold back Team Galactic while you stop her!" Natty called out Pidgeot.

"Right. Slifer, let's go!" He leapt onto the Dragon's back and flew after J and Salamence.

"Starmie! You come out, too!" Misty yelled, throwing a Pokéball to release the Water/Psychic. She looked at Ash. "Can you handle Pikachu while I command Starmie?"

"Of course I can!" Excited, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Just like old times, right buddy?"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu replied happily, moving to stand in front of the spirit of his old trainer.

As the men around him started throwing out their own Pokémon (a collection of two Golbats, a Weezing, and a Houndoom), Saturn narrowed his eyes at Ash. "What are you?" He asked. "Some kind of ghost? Or a Psychic projection, perhaps?"

"I don't have anything to say to you, or anyone else who would hurt my friends!" Ash replied angrily. "Pikachu, let's go! Hit that Toxicroak with a Volt Tackle!"

"Sludge Bomb, Toxicroak!"

"Dodge 'em and keep going, Pikachu!"

"Pi-ka!" Encased in electricity, Pikachu flew side to side, dodging each and every blob of poisonous muck, and smashed into Toxicroak's face just as he reared back for another strike. Toxicroak was knocked back and down for a moment but was soon back on his feet.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash cheered.

And as though his cry had sounded the start of the battle, the two sides started crying out attacks.

"Smog, Weezing!"

"Houndoom, burn that bird with Flamethrower! Golbats, use Leech Life on whatever you can catch!"

"Crobat, blow away the smog with Whirlwind!"

"Pidgeot, dodge those flames and hit Weezing with Wing Attack!"

"Water Pulse on Houndoom, Starmie!"

Gary watched the battle unfold from the side. His Pokémon were already down, a single strike from that monster Toxicroak more than enough to finish each one. Now all he could do was witness the struggle, and hope that they would be successful. In the back of his mind, he wondered how Brian was faring against J.

* * *

"J!"

The infamous Pokémon Hunter stood astride Salamence, flying towards the ball of light. As Brian called to her, she ordered Salamence to turn about, facing the newcomer. Slifer stopped before her, the two Dragons allowing their trainers to stand face to face, and giving Brian his first real look at J. She wore a long navy coat, with red clothing underneath from her gloves to her boots. Her short silver hair barely framed a pair of unique angular goggles, and she wore what appeared to be some kind of cannon on her arm, which Brian assumed was the stone cannon Gary had mentioned. As Brian arrived, she appeared mildly surprised that anyone would challenge her here. Perhaps she had expected Galactic to keep any interference away.

"Who are you?" J asked coldly.

Brian smiled. "My name is Brian Edwards. I'm a trainer, a Champion of the Hoenn League. And I'm here to stop you from capturing that Pokémon!"

J smirked in response. "Cute speech, kid. But I've got a job to do, and I can't let you get in my way. Salamence, attack the brat with Dragon Pulse."

Brian quickly slid down, riding Slifer like a Rapidash to prepare himself for what was ahead. "Slifer, fall, then Stratagem 3."

Salamence fired pulses of light violet energy at the Dragonite, but couldn't manage to hit him as he plummeted. Slifer eventually caught himself and flew far away as fast as he could, then spun about, glowing a brilliant red for a moment before charging back, even faster than before, and closing with a Dragon Rush.

"Salamence, dodge him!" Salamence barely managed to move before his foe closed in: Slifer was so close, the attack scraped against Salamence's wing. The two trainers faced each other again, almost as though nothing had happened.

"I see," J said. "You hide your strategies behind silly codes to fool your opponent. Clever boy. So we have 3: Retreat, Dragon Dance, and Dragon Rush."

"I'm a tactician, yes," Brian replied calmly. "I find it helps more often than it hurts. And you're spot on with the analysis, by the way."

"I know," J said. She seemed to take a moment in thought. "You know, I could use someone with that kind of mind. Care to join me? I'd make it worth your while."

Brian grimaced, disgusted by the very idea. "Thanks, but no thanks. Slifer, Hyper Beam!"

"Fool." J smirked as Salamence easily dodged the attack. "You're defeating yourself!"

"What are you—"

The Hyper Beam lanced past J, striking the ball of light. The light coalesced into a distinct form, with a large head and tiny body. Then the light scattered away, revealing Mesprit, who appeared surprised to be there.

"Oh, no! Mesprit!" Brian said.

"Sprit?" Mesprit said quizzically. Then it spotted the Hunter, and it's eyes narrowed.

J raised a hand to her visor. "Send me four platforms, and release the Golbat."

Immediately, a swarm of Golbat emerged from the ship above the lake and surrounded Mesprit. Each of them used Supersonic, inundating the area with rings of confusion. Mesprit was barely able to attack back, firing a rainbow ring and knocking out several of the Golbat at once, but was hampered by the attacks. J raised her arm to fire at the confused Legend.

"Stop! Slifer, four!"

Slifer flew at Salamence in another Dragon Rush, forcing J to hold on and drop her aim as Salamence took the blow.

"Salamence, stay up!" J snapped. Salamence shrugged off the attack, but was beginning to appear tired from dodging and the hit. She glanced at Mesprit, who was still busy with the Golbat. "Fine, then. I'll take care of you first. Not many Pokémon can put so much as a scratch on Salamence." She grinned and raised her arm cannon to Brian and Slifer. "I imagine a Dragonite that strong will fetch a good price, don't you?"

Brian's eyes went wide. "Slifer, move _now!_"

The yellow beam flew just over Brian's head as Slifer dropped. The light continued on, striking a tree on the lakeshore. When the light faded, the tree was transmuted into a stone replica of its former shape.

"Salamence, Hyper Beam! Aim for the boy!"

Unfortunately, dodging the attack from J had brought Slifer too close to Salamence to dodge in time again, and Brian could only watch as J's Dragon built up the energy and fired, not at Slifer, but at himself. Then, to his horror, Slifer did the only thing he could: the Dragonite moved into the Hyper Beam's path, shielding his trainer from the attack with his own body.

"Slifer, **no!**"

The attack struck him right in the chest, and it was simply too much for Slifer to take. With one last roar, Slifer fell from the air. Without a word, J took aim and fired once more, aiming to turn Slifer to stone.

As Brian watched J raise her arm, one last trick occurred to him. _I'll recall Slifer,_ he thought. _Then I'll call Komodo once the beam passes, and take her down._ Before the thought was even complete, he was already pressing Slifer's ball into the Dragon's back, causing him to vanish in a flash of red light. Brian grinned.

He kept grinning even as J's attack hit him right in the head.

Brian fell like a rock, which was very fitting, considering that J's attack had turned him to stone.

"Damn," J cursed, even as one of her platforms automatically activated and raced to catch the fossilized trainer, encapsulating him in a glass case and returning to her level. "That Dragonite would have been quite a catch." She turned back to Mesprit, the bothersome trainer already forgotten. "Now, Mesprit, where were we?"

Mesprit had finally finished off all the Golbat and was now facing J, tired but defiant. "Mes… _prit!_" The Legend fired a pulse of energy at J just as J fired her own arm cannon. The laser struck Mesprit directly, turning her to stone just as its fellow Lake Guardians had been, as the ring passed J. The crackling energies blew her hair back and cracked her visor, but other than that J came away with nothing but a nasty headache. Another platform caught Mesprit before she fell to the lake, and the two cases and their occupants floated in front of J.

J switched onto Team Galactic's radio channel. "This is J," she said. "Mesprit has been captured. Do you read?"

A woman's voice came through her earpiece. "This is Commander Jupiter, reading you loud and clear. We're landing near the cabin on the north-eastern shore."

J looked in that direction, noting the helicopter above the site where Team Galactic appeared to be battling. "I see you, Jupiter. I'm sending the cases to your location." With the heads-up display on her visor, she marked the location where the cases were to be sent; her men would take care of the rest. A few seconds later, the cases started flying swiftly through the sky towards the marked spot.

"Thank you for your services, Hunter J. The remainder of your price will be wired to you as soon as Mesprit is on route to Veilstone… wait. Cases? With an 'S'?"

J grinned. "Yes, two of them. Mesprit is in the first, and a trainer that tried to stop me from acquiring it is in the second. Do with him what you will; he's none of my concern."

"Ah. Very good."

"Well, if you require my services again, you know how to contact me."

"Of course."

J disconnected and massaged her temples. "Come, Salamence. We've other work to do."

"Mence…" Salamence returned slowly to the ship, glad for a chance to rest its aching wings.

* * *

As the last of Pikachu's Thunder rattled through Toxicroak, the Poison monster fell to the floor.

"It's over, Commander Saturn," Misty said.

"Is it really?" Saturn replied.

Ash laughed. "You've got nothing left to fight us with!"

All of Galactic's Pokémon were down, while Misty, Ash, Brock, and Natty had only lost Pidgeot to a Poison Jab.

Saturn sighed dramatically. "Oh, you imbeciles. This battle meant nothing." He raised his arms. "Nothing and no one can stop Team Galactic! While you've been playing around with us, the final piece to our plan has fallen into our hands!"

"You really think we'd let you get away with Mesprit?" Gary asked.

"I don't think you will have a choice, pests," Saturn said. He turned away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Brock demanded.

"We're leaving."

"Guys…" Natty said, looking to the sky.

A cold wind was pounding down on them, and a noise in the sky was growing louder, as though the sky was finally letting the storm it had threatened all day loose. Suddenly, a helicopter appeared above them, Team Galactic's symbolic G emblazoned on the side.

Saturn turned back around. "As you can see, our ride is here, so I'm afraid we will have to be going."

The helicopter landed, and a set of Galactic grunts filed out, followed by another unique member, this time a woman. The grunts immediately threw out their Pokémon; around thirty of them surrounded the helicopter.

"Ah, Saturn," she said, ignoring the gathered trainers. "How was the mission?"

"A success as usual, Jupiter," Saturn replied. He gazed over his enemies' heads. "Ah! I believe here Mesprit comes now. And it looks like it has company!"

"What?" Misty said. They turned around, facing the lake like the Team. On the other side of the lake, they could just barely make out J's airship departing. From the place the Bomb had fallen, two platforms were racing towards them, glass cases covering them. The nearest one contained the petrified Mesprit, but the farther had a larger form, bent at a strange angle. As it drew closer, the form became clear. For the five friends gathered there, it was a heart-stopping sight.

"No! _**Brian!**_" Natty screamed.

"As you can see, your little friend just couldn't handle someone like J," Saturn said as the two cases floated to a stop in front of him. "So we'll be taking him with us."

"No you won't!" Ash yelled. He raced towards the case containing Brian, intending to reach through the glass and free him. But the instant his hand touched the case, he felt something he hadn't felt in almost seven years.

_Pain._

Ash screamed as the case gave him what felt like the strongest electric shock he had ever received. The feeling raced through his body for a moment before throwing him back towards his friends, where he landed on the ground, still twitching from the aftereffects.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried at seeing his master hurt.

"Ash!" Misty ran to him and knelt by his side. She glared at Saturn. "What did you do?"

Saturn looked mildly surprised as he watched the shaking spirit. "Interesting," he said coldly. "I knew J charged these with Dark-type energy to keep out Ghost Pokémon. I suppose the principle applies to human spirits as well. Who would have thought?"

"Misty…" Ash said faintly. She turned to him. "I'm okay… it's just not something I'm used to feeling. Help me up…"

"Come on." She grabbed his hands, and pulled him into the air. He straightened out, but didn't dare try to reach through the cases again.

"Very good," Saturn noted. "The rest of you would do well to note that the same would happen to anyone else trying to touch these without the proper authorization."

Ever since seeing Brian in the case, Natty had gone quickly through pain and now turned to rage at the Team before her. Ash, Misty, and Brock had never seen her this angry before, and she was frightening in her ferocity. "I… I'll…" She seemed too furious for words. "I'll kill you if you hurt him," she finally spat viciously.

A hatch opened on the helicopter, opening the cargo bay. "Oh, don't worry about that," Jupiter said, her voice oozing false comfort. "We're hardly monsters. Your friend will be kept back at our base, safe and sound." The two platforms moved into the helicopter, and the hatch was shut. Team Galactic began to file back into the helicopter.

"Assuming, of course, that you stay out of our way," Saturn added. His voice took on a more sinister tone. "Now, if you continue these attempts to hamper Team Galactic's efforts… well, in that case, we just can't guarantee your friend's safety." With that parting shot, Saturn boarded, and the helicopter began to take off. When it was safely in the air, the Galactic members recalled their Pokémon, quickly pulling them all to safety. The helicopter rose higher.

"We've got to follow them!" Natty yelled over the buffeting winds. "If they get away, we'll never find him!"

"With what?" Brock asked in desperation. "We're out of flying Pokémon, and we can't beat them on foot!"

Natty turned to Ash. "Follow them!" she pleaded. "You're the only one who can!"

"He's hurt!" Misty snapped. "He shouldn't be—"

"I'll go," Ash interrupted weakly. "She's right, Misty. It's got to be me." He started rising after the copter. "I'll come back to the cabin after they land at their base. Wait for me." And with that, he vanished from their sight.

"Just be careful." Misty's words were the last thing Ash heard before he flew after the fleeing helicopter.

* * *

"Wha—? Umph!"

The transition was very strange. One instant, he was falling towards the crystal waters of the lake; the next, he was falling sideways onto a cold metal floor and surrounded by Team Galactic members. Before he could react, they had grabbed his arms and shackled them together behind his back.

"Now, now, men," a familiar oily voice said above him. "Is that any way to treat our new guest? Help the poor boy up."

One of the many men around him roughly pulled him onto his knees. The speaker from before, Commander Saturn, stood before him.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Brian Edwards," he answered harshly. "Now tell me where I am!"

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry," Saturn responded. "How rude of me. I suppose the petrifaction leaves one a bit disoriented, correct?"

"Petri… oh." Brian suddenly realized what had happened. "J."

"Yes, J. Really, what did you expect after going after the world's greatest Pokémon Hunter? Did you really think you could just fly to her and stop her single handed?" Saturn laughed. "Greater men than you have tried and failed."

"So she handed me over to you." Brian said dully.

"Precisely. And we took you here, to our base of operations: Veilstone Galactic Headquarters!" Saturn gestured at the blank metal walls around them, remarking, "Not that you can see any of it from this cell."

"So now what?" Brian demanded. "You just leave me to rot in here?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Saturn chastised. "You'll be well-fed, and properly clothed, just as any Team Galactic member would be. We can't allow you to leave, of course, but it is my sincere hope that you will come to see this place as a… second home, if you will."

Brian smirked. "Kiss my ass."

"Well!" Saturn said in mock offense. "With an attitude like that, I don't think I should allow you the pleasure of my company."

"Please, go," Brian shot back. "I would find this place much more like home if the aura of concentrated evil wasn't so strong."

Saturn frowned. He pointed at one of the many men around Brian. "You." Saturn tilted his head towards the captive. "Hurt him."

The grunt stepped forward and unceremoniously kicked Brian hard in the stomach. Brian grunted and fell to the side, doubled over in pain.

"Take his Pokémon as well," Saturn said. Brian was in too much pain to stop them as they ripped the belt with his six Pokéballs from his chest.

"No…" Brian moaned. "Please, don't…" He was ignored.

"What of this?" One of the grunts finally spoke, indicating Brian's sword.

"Leave it," Saturn replied carelessly. "What would he do with that toy?"

"I'd stab you… in the fucking heart…" Brian spat defiantly.

Saturn's eyes narrowed. "Again."

The grunt from before kicked him once more, this time in the mouth. Brian felt the hot, bitter blood begin to pour from his lips.

"That will do," Saturn said. He addressed Brian again. "We are not evil, and I will not stand for anyone speaking such simple-minded slander. Our leader Cyrus has a great vision of a new world. With the power of the Three, we can make it a reality. Have you not suffered? Has not everyone suffered enough? Cyrus would create a world without pain. Do you really think that goal is evil?"

"The road to hell… is paved… with good intentions," Brian grunted with shallow breaths. He spat out a mouthful of blood. "Living through pain… makes us who we are. You can't take that away without taking… our humanity away."

"Perhaps. But we believe the trade is worth the risk." Saturn turned and led the troops out of the room. "Enjoy your stay," Saturn finished coldly. He shut the door with a clang, leaving Brian alone with his suffering.

* * *

The sky was dark by the time Ash made his way back to the cabin. He felt almost weary with sadness, but kept going anyway.

"Hello?" Ash said as he walked through the front door.

Misty, Brock, Natty, and Pikachu sat on the living room couch. Pikachu was asleep, and Brock and Misty were trying to comfort Natty, who was still crying hours later. The moment Ash spoke, Misty was up to embrace him. "Oh, thank Mew," Misty breathed.

"Where are they?" Brock asked.

"Veilstone," Ash replied quietly. "It's a big building on the north side of the city."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Natty said, jumping up. "We've got to go!"

"Natty, it's already dark," Misty answered. "We might as well stay the night here, and go early tomorrow."

"But Brian—!"

"We know," Brock said sadly. "We know, and we hate it, but we still need to sleep."

"How can I sleep?" Natty exclaimed tearfully. "How can you? Knowing he's alone up there… What if they're hurting him? What if—"

"Natty, there's just nothing we can do now." Brock walked over to her and hugged her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

"There has to be something," Natty wept.

"All we can do is get to Galactic's base as fast as we can," Ash said. "Then we can free him, get the Orbs and Flute, and hopefully free the Lake trio at the same time." He looked around. "Hey, where did Gary go?"

"He went around the lake to use the Pokémon Center at the resort, and then he said he's headed to the Valley Windworks to meet Professor Rowan," Misty replied. Ash nodded.

"We should probably sleep," Brock said, ever the voice of reason.

"I can't…" Natty murmured. "I can't…" She shrugged off Brock's embrace. "I'll be back," she finally mumbled, running outside.

"Natalia!" Brock started after her, only for Misty to stop him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her go," she suggested. "She needs time to get this through her head."

Brock looked at the door for another moment, then sighed and turned away.

Outside, Natty stumbled to the lake's edge. She shook her head over and over until finally she seemed to break. She screamed into the dark night sky. "_It wasn't supposed to be like this!_" She sank to her knees, the waves of the lake just barely lapping at her legs. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," she whispered to the waves. "There wasn't supposed to be any danger, or evil teams, or lost friends. Sinnoh was supposed to be a vacation… not a nightmare."

"Brian…" she said softly. "Why you? Why did it have to be you?" The dark lake offered no answers.

With one hand, she wiped her eyes. The light from the cabin shone on her wet hand, drawing her eyes to the tears. "You're the only one who can make me cry like this… I just wish you could see it."

For a few minutes, Natty sat on the lake's edge, the icy winter wind cooling her hot tears as they fell. She might have stayed out for a while longer, had a stroke of chance not interrupted.

With a rumble of thunder, the storm that had been building all day finally started coming down. The frigid rain mixed with Natty's tears, and she looked up.

"Really? _Now_ it starts raining? That's…" In spite of everything, she started to laugh. "That's so cliché!"

As the sky cried, not even knowing what there was to cry about, Natty giggled at the absurdity of it all. It was exactly what she needed. Feeling revitalized, Natty stood back up. She looked to the northern sky.

"Hold on, Brian. We're coming. Just… stay strong."

She turned away from the shore and walked back into the cabin.

* * *

**Notes**

Well, there you go. Chapter Ten is up. I don't even care, since Warlordess' masterpiece Illicit Saints is _finally free!_ I mean, done! The epilogue just went up on Monday, and why are you still here and not there? It's under my favorite stories, _go!_

* * *

…What, you're still here? Oh… uh… okay. I guess here's my thoughts about the chapter, then.

Plot Hole appeared! Go, James! James used Backspace. It's not very effective… Plot Hole used Logical Fallacy. It's super effective! James was confused. James used Narrative Convenience. James is confused! It's a One-Hit KO! Plot Hole fainted! James gained one chapter!

That's a detailed account of me trying to figure out how they would figure out where Galactic Base was. I eventually thought of a solution. You know what it was.

Brian! Captured! OMG! That just came up from nowhere while I was in the middle of this chapter, and I went with it. It's nice; it removes a problem I was having with the plot that I couldn't resolve. I think that's the last problem, really. The rest of it's pretty much good to go. I've still got to write it, of course.

I've noticed that I suck at describing what people look like when they first appear. I've been kind of assuming that people know what these characters look like, and that's a bad thing. I'm trying to remedy that starting this chapter. You'll notice nice character descriptions for the two new characters, J and Gary. Oh, and whoever said "Where is Gary?" a while back… well, there he is. I may go back and add character descriptions to the other chapters after I'm done with the story. Which, by the way, is nearing its end. You'd better not be happy!

Um… I'm trying to make Natty something more than a sack of random, and I have been for the last couple of chapters. You know, giving her some harder emotions, without taking her fun side away. Expect her to be more determined and a little darker after this. She's lost someone important, and she's all business right now.

I think that there are only four days left in-story until it's over. (Not counting the epilogue.)

Speaking of days, I finally know when I'm leaving for Basic: November 23rd. But I promise, with perfect truth, this story _will_ be done before then. It's only got three (_maybe_ four) chapters left anyway, counting the epilogue.

Well, that's it for me. I beg you, please leave a review. Almost nobody did last chapter! I mean, what was it? Was it just substandard? Was it a bad day? I don't even know. In any case, I want to thank **stacyr223** for FINALLY giving me the recipe for Sesame Chicken I've been asking for since chapter… what, four? Something like that. A long time, anyway. You rock, Stacy!

I'm not leaving a disclaimer anymore. I've decided to do one per story from now on, and Nintendo can suck it if they care.

I'll see ya next chapter, when the counterattack on Galactic will begin, and maybe end if it doesn't take too long! Bye!

**James**


	11. At the Edge of Creation

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Chapter Eleven: At the Edge of Creation_

Time had passed.

Brian was starting to believe that Galactic aimed either to convert him to their side or, failing that, drive him insane. He was constantly assaulted by their rhetoric, which was being piped into the cell every so often, telling him of the glorious plans of the Team, how terrible the world was now, and how necessary it was for everything to be changed. So far he had remained stalwart, meditating on his friends and their mission to keep his mind comfortably clear of Galactic's speeches, but it was becoming slowly harder and harder to do so. It was the damned _light!_

Every hour, every moment, the cell was illuminated so brightly that rest was next to impossible. Without a daily period of darkness, he couldn't even tell how long he had been here. Days? Weeks? He couldn't be sure. He was being fed as promised, but every meal was identical, teleported in by a tiny Natu that left as quickly as it came. He could never be sure when the next one was coming, or even when it had come unless he saw Natu arrive. Once he had even stepped in the plate before spotting it, which was rather disgusting. Also disgusting was the fact that the toilet, the only real fixture in the room, just led to a hole in the ground, plus there was no way to bathe himself. He hadn't felt this uncomfortable and dirty since spending two weeks indoors, and at least then he could shower.

At the moment, Brian was between meals, lying in a corner with his hands over his eyes, trying in vain to sleep in spite of the bright lights before Team Galactic had time to start assaulting his mind again. But after what felt like only a few minutes, the droning speech began, and he sat up. He couldn't sleep through that racket, and it was useless to try.

Brian picked at the grey sleeve of his shirt, mildly disgusted with himself for wearing it. Along with the first meal he had received had been a pile of new clothes, which he had folded out, intrigued by the gesture. But when he realized what it was, he recoiled.

They'd given him a Team Galactic uniform.

His first reaction had been to throw it in the corner and ignore it. But several meals later (a day? A week? How could he _know_?) he decided he might as well get used to the idea. After all, he couldn't keep wearing the same stuff forever; who knew how long he might be in here? And it wasn't like wearing the uniform made him part of Team Galactic anyway... So he pulled it out of the corner he'd stuffed it in and put it on. What he hadn't foreseen was that Natu would take his old clothes away the next time he Teleported the old plates and food out of the room. So now he was stuck wearing the horrible things, which were growing more and more repulsive every second he wore them.

But at least he got a clean set every now and then.

His thoughts screeched to a halt as Brian felt himself tense in response to something. He looked around for what had caused him to jump, but then realized it wasn't something that was there, it was something that wasn't. The obnoxious drone from the speakers had been cut off early. That had never happened before. Brian stood, eyes darting around the room to spot anything out of the ordinary.

But Team Galactic had no interest in surprising him. From the same speaker that the speeches had come from, a different voice came, that of an old man. All he said was, "Please move to the center of the room, facing the door. Get on your knees with your hands behind your head. If you fail to comply, you will be punished."

"Punished how?" Brian wondered aloud.

Apparently, the speaker was also a transmitter, because the man replied "By a battery of scientific tests. I'm always in need of new subjects. The tests are…" The man paused for a moment. "Unpleasant. Now move. You have one minute to comply." The speaker squawked once as it cut off.

Brian thought of defying the order just to be bothersome, but in the end, loathing himself with every step, he did as the man commanded. A quiet sort of despair had settled onto his heart sometime over the course of his imprisonment. Not knowing if his friends knew where he was, or even knew what had happened to him, robbed him of any hope of rescue. He wasn't willing to give in and join Galactic, but defiance had moved beyond his grasp. If obeying them would make his imprisonment a bit easier, he would do it as much as he could stand.

The door to the cell opened, and two grunts walked in, one of them carrying rope. They were followed by another man; the first Brian had seen not wearing a Team Galactic uniform. The old man was tall and very thin, with dark brown hair and darker eyes. He was dressed completely in white: white boots, white pants, and a white shirt under a white lab coat.

"Hello… what was your name again?" The old man asked.

"Brian," he mumbled in reply.

"Ah, yes. Hello, Brian," the old man started jovially. "I see you've finally decided to 'don our colors,' as it were. So have you chosen to join us, then?"

"Go to hell," Brian growled. "You bastards took my other clothes. I've got to wear something."

"Too true, too true," the man said sadly, shaking his head. "Well, that's too bad. I had hoped you wouldn't need persuading." Then his eyes grew bright with excitement. "But at least I get to try out my theories at last!"

"What are you blathering about, old man?" Brian said carelessly.

He looked affronted. "Old man? Now, there's no need for that. My name will do just fine. Call me Quasar."

"Quasar?" Brian snickered. "So did they run out of planets, then? I haven't met any Uranus yet. You could be that one!"

Quasar scowled. "I think that's enough from you." Quasar motioned to the two grunts. "Tie him up." One of the men held his hands together while the other tied them. Then they repeated the process with his feet. Brian struggled to maintain his balance; no matter what, he didn't want to lie at this man's feet. When they had finished, Quasar said "That will be enough. You can go now." The grunts nodded, then walked out of the room without a word, leaving Brian and Quasar alone.

"Do you know of Arceus, Brian?" Quasar said casually, as he pulled a glove out of his pocket. He slipped it on his right hand, stretching his fingers and allowing Brian to see a red jewel set in the palm, surrounded by an intricate web of lines.

"Yes, I do. Quite a bit, actually," Brian replied acidly. "We were trying to get the Azure Flute when you bastards took it."

The scientist ignored Brian's slur. "Really now? Then I guess you do know quite a bit. Well, you may know this, but I'll assume you don't.

"Arceus created the universe, which is based on one fundamental law: all beings, all matter, all energy and even nothingness, all existence obeys the will of the Original One. Team Galactic has spent countless hours forming the Red Chains, crystals made of the building blocks of reality and imbued with the will of Arceus by the Lake Guardians. Cyrus hopes to use those Red Chains to bind Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina to his will, and use their combined power to create a new universe governed by Cyrus."

"So where do you fit into all of this?" Brian asked.

"I was in charge of studying the Azure Flute, but nowhere important, at least now that Cyrus has decided not to use it after all," Quasar replied. "I suppose that now I'm just a worrier. You see, I like to have a plan B. And if Master Cyrus' plan fails, we'll still have a great deal of unused Red Chain material just lying all around, being useless. But!" Quasar raised one finger of his gloved hand. "I had an epiphany. What if we could use that leftover stuff for something else? So I've run some tests on the material, and right here I'm going to administer the last one."

"Hey! You said you would only run your tests on me if I disobeyed!" Brian yelled. He started to struggle against his bonds.

Quasar smiled innocently and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Now, I never said that. I said I _would_ run _unpleasant_ tests if you did. I never said I wouldn't run them if you obeyed. And in any case, this one test won't hurt a bit. And if it works, you won't even be stuck in this cell anymore!" The smile grew into a twisted grin. "Not that it will matter much to you anyway." He began to advance.

"Get away!" Brian screamed in fear as Quasar took a step towards him. He flung himself backward, but only ended up lying on the floor, facing away from Quasar, exactly as he had earlier feared. He heard the man step closer, until he was right at Brian's back.

Brian recoiled as much as he could when Quasar's soft, oily voice slithered its way into his ears. "Now, now, be still, Brian. Just relax, and I'll take all your troubles away…" Then, with a cry of effort, Quasar slapped his gloved hand into Brian's forehead.

Brian screamed again as he felt a tendril of energy pierce his mind. Then a red flash obscured his sight, and he knew no more.

* * *

The sun was still just below the horizon, and across Veilstone City, the people were still asleep. Most people, at least. In Veilstone's Pokémon Center, one roomful of people was already up and moving about.

Brock, Misty, and Natty were all up and ready to go, only waiting for Ash to return so they could leave. Today was the day; today they would finally start the assault on Galactic. Ash had spent the night scouting out Veilstone Headquarters, finding out as much as he could before they began. They expected him to return soon.

The tension in the room was palpable. After seeing Ash actually hurt four days ago, Misty had been forced to come to grips with the fact that he wasn't as invincible as they had believed. They couldn't just let him go without worrying about him being hurt. Now that he was actually on Team Galactic's turf, surrounded by the only people with both means and motive to attack him, she was extremely worried for him. She was pacing the floor of their tiny shared room, wringing her hands and damning herself for letting him go. The old questions of whether Ash could be hurt, injured, or even killed in his current state, questions she had thought long since answered, thrummed through her mind, consuming her focus. Pikachu watched her pace from her bed, every now and then throwing Misty words of encouragement. He was worried about Ash too.

Brock was relaxing, having decided that there was no reason to worry yet, and since this would be his last chance to rest, possibly for a long while, he was going to make the most of it. He was keeping his head clear and his body loose, and every now and then he would find himself dozing off. He would probably have been doing it a lot more if not for the fact that Misty hit him every time he tried. They'd only been up for an hour, but they'd already squabbled at least five times over Brock's apparent lack of concern.

Natty was focused, meditating on her thoughts so deeply that Brock's and Misty's little fights had barely registered to her. For the last few days, she had been afire with a passion to train and travel that she had never had before. She was determined, pushing herself and her Pokémon to their limits. For once she was actually considering a battle beforehand; mentally preparing herself for anything Team Galactic might throw at her on her way to rescue her friend. She knew her lack of training would be a huge disadvantage, but she also knew that she could not afford to lose. Brian's life, and moreover the lives of every person and Pokémon in the world, hung in the balance.

And she would be ready.

_Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!_

They had made sure to get a room with a window, and at that moment Ash rapped at it impatiently, drawing everyone out of their own worlds. Misty opened the window, allowing Ash to bring in a rolled up piece of paper. Only when he had come inside and the window had been closed behind him did Misty allow herself to relax.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped at Ash, only to fly through him.

"Oh, sorry, Pikachu," Ash apologized. "Didn't see you coming."

"Pi ka…" Pikachu said, dazed from hitting the wall.

"Let's see it!" Brock exclaimed. "What did you find out?"

Ash unrolled the paper, spreading it on a tiny nightstand. The group huddled around, then collectively sweatdropped at what Ash had brought.

"Um, Ash, what is this?" Misty asked.

Ash cocked his head in confusion. "Don't play games, Misty. It's the map!"

They paused for a long time before Brock spoke. "Okay, Ash. I'm glad you made it and thank you for being brave and infiltrating the base, but this?" Brock pointed to the map, a vague collection of almost-rectangles, crude drawings of Team Galactic members (with smiley faces, no less) and some misshapen circles that _might_ have been the Orbs or Flute. "This is the worst map I have ever seen."

"Cut me a little slack!" Ash complained. "I couldn't take the map with me and still be invisible, so I had to leave the paper on the roof and then do it from memory piece by piece. And I haven't drawn anything in about seven years. I'm sorry if my map-making skills are a little rusty!"

"It's fine, Ash," Natty soothed, ending the fight she saw developing before it began. "We don't need a perfectly scaled map. We just need to know what paths to take and where all the stuff is." Natty glanced over the drawing. "But… you're going to have to explain what all this is, 'cause I can't read any of it."

Ash glared at all three of them. "You're all very welcome. I'm so glad I could help." Then he sighed and started explaining.

"Okay. First thing is the door. It's locked from the outside, but I've memorized the code so that I can open it for you. Once we get in, there's a big first room with one guard that takes up the whole first floor." He ran a finger over the lowest rectangle. "He has an alarm at his desk, but it won't work," Ash boasted. "I yanked out all the batteries and threw them away. But there's an alarms all over the important parts of the building, and the rest of them are screwed to the walls. If even one of them is hit, we're going to be in the middle of a Team Galactic convention."

"That would probably be bad," Misty noted.

"Right," Ash replied. "Anyway, there are four floors to the facility. The top three floors are just offices, and they don't have anything important up there."

"Probably for show," Brock guessed. "I bet they show those to people from the city so they can keep the Team secret."

Ash nodded. "I bet that's it. Anyway, since those floors were useless, I didn't mark them on the map. The real base is in the basement, which is a _lot_ bigger than the building. The entrance is hidden." He pointed to a tree-shaped thing on the map. "There's a fake potted plant here that opens a secret elevator door when you kick it over."

Misty snorted. "Ash, that's the stupidest thing I ever heard."

"Well, that's how you open it. And that's the end of the easy part. When we come out of the elevator, we've got to come out fighting, 'cause there's bound to be Galactic people everywhere. Because of where the four things we need are at, I think we should split up after we get through that first room. Me and Misty can go one way, and Brock and Natty can go the other way."

"Why?" Brock queried.

"Because that room is kind of a crossroads. It splits four ways. If you go south, you're in some kind of big auditorium. If you go north, it's the barracks for Team Galactic and the real boss' office. The ways we want to go are east, towards the lab that holds the Azure Flute and the Orbs and the prisoner's cells, and west, where they're keeping Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie with some kind of red crystals. So I figure if one group goes east, and the other goes west, we'll get everything we need and get out fast. I'm kind of hoping we can get in and out before Team Galactic has time to do anything to stop us."

"That's a good plan… are you sure you didn't have help?" Misty joked.

"No!" Ash protested.

Natty thought for a moment. "Okay, then. We should probably leave everything we don't need here. It'll just hold us down. When do we go?"

"I think the earlier, the better," Misty said. "Maybe we'll catch them with their pants down."

Brock turned away. "I agree, but there's one thing I have to do before we go."

Ash looked at Brock as he rolled up the map. "What's that, Brock?"

"I've got to call Cynthia and let her know where the base is while we've got a phone."

Misty hit herself in exasperation for not thinking of that earlier. "Crap! You're right! But if we're going to have police, why are we doing this alone?"

"We can't afford to keep waiting," Ash replied. "For all we know, Team Galactic is getting ready to leave for Spear Pillar."

"Plus, if a huge police force goes in there, Galactic will probably just hold them off until they can move everything they need out of the base." Brock reasoned. He struck a fist into his palm. "With just a few people we've got a chance to strike, get what we need, and leave before they know we're there and stop us. But we still need to let the police know so they can bring down the Team after we've got everything out."

Misty thought about that, then nodded. "Right. Go make the call."

"I'm going with Brock," Natty said. "Just in case."

"Pika, Pichupi!" Pikachu bounded off a bed and trailed behind her.

They walked out. "Why do you need to talk to Cynthia?" he asked her.

"I don't," Natty replied, glancing back at the doorway behind them. "Just thought it'd be nice to give them some alone time."

Back in the room, Ash and Misty sat together, their eyes down.

"Hey, Ash?"

"What's up, Misty?"

She looked at him, then returned her gaze to the floor. "What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, later. If we win, and—"

"_When _we win," Ash interjected.

She had to smile at that. "Yeah. When we win, and you've got your body back, what will you do?"

"Huh." Ash leaned back onto the bed they were sharing. "I guess I hadn't thought about it much. I mean… I'd like to start training again. I don't know how the League will handle the whole 'dead for six years' thing. But I'll jump through whatever hoops they put up if they'll let me be a trainer again."

"So…" Misty sounded sad. "So you'll leave me behind then? Go out and travel and leave me in Cerulean?"

Ash froze, and his eyes shot open. "I… I hadn't considered that." He sat back up and looked at her. "Is that what you were expecting?"

"…Yes," she admitted in a very small voice.

"Misty…" his face contorted as he thought. "Misty, would you be willing to travel with me?"

"Ash, I'd love to, but the gym…"

He shook his head. "Forget the gym for a minute and tell me what you want, not what you think is right."

She sighed. "Of course I want to travel with you, Ash. Travelling with you was the best time of my life."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" she said, trailing off. "I never did get over losing Brock's cooking."

"Gah!" Ash fell off the bed.

Misty laughed. "I'm just kidding, Ash. You know it was you I missed most." She kept giggling and laughing at his face as he got up. _Mew_, it felt good to just laugh!

"Of course." Ash took his place next to her again, then kissed her cheek.

"But I still don't know if I can just leave the gym. It's been in the family for a few decades, and if I leave and none of my sisters are willing to be the leader, we'd have to sell the building and give the gym license back to the League. I know none of them want to lose it."

"Well…" Ash scratched his head. "I don't want to leave you, either." He frowned.

"If I look for a way... Would you be willing to stay at the gym until I _can_ go?" Misty pleaded. "Even if it take me a while?"

"Misty…" Ash smiled, drawing a small one from her in return. "I've waited for six years. I can stand a little more. And I love you. Of course I'll wait for you." He laughed. "Besides, I could probably do with the training before I start hunting down badges!"

"Thanks, Ash. I love you too." They kissed, eyes bright with the shared hope of a bright future.

Meanwhile, at the phone outside, Natty was waiting to talk to Cynthia next to a slightly-smoking Brock. (He was smoking because of the Thundershock he had just received from Pikachu, which was given to him when he had proposed to the Officer Jenny who he was supposed to be asking to connect him to Cynthia.)

"Hello?" Cynthia's tired voice came through the phone. Apparently, wherever she was, she didn't have a video connection.

"Hello, Master Cynthia? This is Natty. Remember me?"

"Of course!" Cynthia replied. "What's the word? Any news on the Team?"

"I'm in Veilstone with Brock, Misty, and Ash. We're about to attack Team Galactic's base."

"_What?_" Cynthia yelled through the phone, all traces of fatigue vanishing from her tone. "Who?"

"We are. Just the four of us. We figure a small assault has a better chance of recapturing the Orbs and all than an all-out attack against Team Galactic."

"Wait, four?" Cynthia paused, going over that in her head. "I thought there were five of you, counting Ash?"

Natty clenched a fist at her side. "There were." She looked down at the floor, her eyes far away.

Brock broke in, realizing how hard it was on Natty to talk about Brian's loss. "They captured Brian at Lake Valor," he said. "The only reason we know where they are is because Ash followed the transport back to their base. It's a big building on a hill in Veilstone. The east and west sides are covered in these big spikes. You can't possibly miss it."

"Well then, good job, but you don't need to attack it by yourselves. I can have a team of police there in twenty minutes. I'll be there myself in thirty."

"We'd really rather you didn't send anyone just yet, Cynthia," Brock answered. "We think a small team will just be better in the long run."

"That's unacceptable. I can't let you go alone. I'm calling the police as soon as I hang up."

"No, listen! Cynthia, if they know they're being attacked, they'll leave with the Orbs! They'll take everything and you'll just have an empty base!"

"I don't care, Brock. I can't allow you to take that risk. I'm calling them now."

"Wait, Cynthia!" Natty yelled. The line went dead.

"We've got to move fast!" Brock said, springing up. "If we don't beat the police there, they'll ruin everything!"

"C'mon, Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped onto Natty's shoulder as they ran back to their room.

Brock jumped into the room, interrupting Ash's and Misty's kiss. "Come on! Cynthia called the police. We've got about ten minutes to make it to the headquarters or our surprise attack is going to be ruined!"

Ash and Misty looked at each other for a moment, then jumped up and started moving.

"What do we need?" Misty asked.

Natty looked around. "I don't think we need anything except our Pokémon, so if you've got those, let's go!"

Misty picked up her belt of Pokéballs and Pikachu jumped from Natty's shoulder onto hers. Natty and Brock both grabbed their own Pokéballs, and the quartet ran out of the Pokémon Center together.

* * *

As the sun had yet to come up, the streets were still empty, and so Ash was free to run with them towards the building he had just recently mapped. Luckily, the building was only a few blocks north of the Center, and so only about seven minutes had passed once they'd arrived. They'd made it before Cynthia's backup.

"Okay, Ash, let's go! Open the door!" Natty said excitedly once they'd reached the front of the building.

"Hold on, hold on… everybody ready?" Ash asked.

"Yes, let's move!" Natty ordered.

Brock nodded silently, a Pokéball already in his hand.

"Let's get it over with," Misty replied.

"Okay, then…" Ash put one hand on the door. "Here we go. I'll just be a second."

Ash slid through the solid black door without a sound. His friends waited anxiously for a few moments. Then his head popped back through. "Be quiet," he advised with a laugh. "The guard is sleeping." The door opened slowly, and Brock, Misty, Natty and Pikachu followed him inside.

Galactic's base was surprisingly dull. The front room looked more like a hotel lobby than anything else, complete with a shut-down fountain in the center.

"Pika pika…" Pikachu chortled quietly at the sight of the snoring security guard at the front desk as they tiptoed by. Misty shushed him.

On the north wall, they stopped. "Okay," Ash whispered. "Here it is." He crouched next to an obviously plastic fern, and grabbed the thick stem. "This is it. Last chance to turn around. If anybody—"

"Ash, if you don't pull that lever _right now_, I am going to kill you," Natty growled fiercely. "We already did this."

"Hey, it's a dramatic moment!" Ash whisper-whined. He shoved over the plant, which gave way with a quiet click. The wood paneled walls behind them shifted over, revealing a small alcove lined with chrome. They only just made it inside before the doors shut. On the walls were two buttons: up and down.

"Push the down button!" Misty advised.

"No, really?" Brock replied sarcastically. He pressed it anyway.

The elevator's descent was surprisingly smooth and silent, but the tense trainers barely noticed. Each of them had a hand on their first choice to battle in this place, ready to fight the instant the doors opened.

"Five seconds," Ash warned. As if they needed the extra stress of a timer.

The doors opened, and the group _exploded_ out of the elevator…

…into a completely empty room.

"What the hell?" Ash whispered, his voice echoing strangely off the chrome walls. "This place was packed less than an hour ago!"

"Don't question it, let's just go!" Misty said.

"Which ways, Ash?" Brock asked.

"The labs and prison are that way." He pointed to a door set in the left-hand wall. "The Lake Guardians and whatever they were making are this way." Then he pointed directly across the room to the other wall.

"Brock and I will take this one." Natty ran towards the left door.

"Then I guess me, Ash, and Pikachu will help the Lake Pokémon."

The pairs stopped in front of their respective doors.

"Good luck," Brock said.

"Same to you," Ash replied.

"Pichupi, pika pikachu!" Pikachu gave them the peace sign.

"You be careful too, Pikachu!" Natty said with a small smile.

Brock and Misty opened the two doors together, and the group split apart.

* * *

"Huh… maybe splitting up was a bad idea," Brock said.

He and Natty were staring down a hallway, lined with three unlabeled doors on each side.

"I think Ash's crappy map showed this," Natty said, walking slowly down the deserted corridor. She stopped in front of the middle-right door. "If I remember right, then the lab with the orbs is right… here!" She flung the door open and stepped into a men's bathroom.

"Should we search the stalls?" Brock joked.

Natty glared at him. "Just shut up."

"My turn." Brock turned right around, facing the opposite door. "And, door number two!"

This time it was a women's bathroom.

"Should we search the stalls?" Natty mimicked.

"I don't think so." Brock shut that door as well. "Hey, that's a third of the doors down. We've got to get it eventually."

They moved to the end. "Well, how about this one?" He tried the last right-hand door. "Aaaaand it's locked."

"This is ridiculous," Natty complained, turning again to the opposite door. "Okay, here we go. This will be it."

She opened the door, and stepped into a lab. She quickly silenced herself as she realized this room wasn't empty; two people were busy working on a computer at the far end, one old scientist and an assistant in a Team Galactic uniform. It became harder to keep silenced when she spotted an item lying under a glass case in the center of the room.

The Azure Flute.

Brock tapped on her shoulder to get Natty to move, and together they moved silently through the room, avoiding a few tables of equipment on their way to the case.

Brock whispered as quietly as he could to Natty once they'd reached it. "Natty, let's just grab it and run. If we can get away quietly, they might never notice us!"

"No!" She whispered back angrily. "Ash said the Orbs were in here too, and there is _no way_ I am leaving here without Brian!" Her eyes grew wide and she said the last word again. "**Brian!**"

"Stay quiet!" Brock hissed.

"I just realized! That locked door must be the prison cell! We've got to go break it down!" She whispered back.

Brock's eyes grew wide. "No…"

"What?" Natty asked. Brock pointed to the assistant.

On the side of his uniform, the assistant had something she had seen before, but only on one person: a black sword and sheath.

"That's…" Natty trembled with anger and fear. "Those… they said they wouldn't hurt him, didn't they?"

"Calm down, calm down!" Brock whispered in half-panic. "They probably just stole it from him, I'm sure he's fine!"

"Those heartless monsters!" Natty growled. "Who the hell do they think they are?" She took a step towards the assistant.

"Natty! Don't—"

"_Hey!_" she yelled at the assistant. The old scientist turned around, but the assistant didn't even flinch. "I've got a bone to pick with you!"

"Do what you want, but obey your loyalties," the scientist mumbled quickly. A muted red light blinked behind him.

"_You_ shut up!" she snapped at the scientist. Her anger swung back onto the assistant. "And you! How _dare_ you take things from my friends?"

"I'll assume you're talking about the sword, but I'm glad to say I didn't steal that from anyone, Natalia."

_Impossible_, Natty thought. Her voice nearly lost, she murmured "Brian?"

"The one and only." The assistant turned around, revealing their lost friend. Brian smiled, looking down at his uniform. "I guess the clothes threw you off, right?"

"Brian!" Brock ran forward to him. "You're safe! Come on, we're here to rescue you!"

Brian closed his eyes.

**Smack!**

As Natty looked on in shock, Brian delivered a hard strike to Brock's face, sending him flying backwards into a stone table.

"That's not going to be necessary, Brock," Brian said, casually flexing his hand. "In fact, I think it's _me_ that's going to be rescuing _you_." As he opened his eyes and took a slow step forward, Natty noticed two things: a tiny red jewel embedded in his forehead, and a tiny red gleam that shone through those eyes…

* * *

"What the _hell_?" Ash repeated quietly as Misty and Pikachu followed him into the containment area. "Where did they go?"

"Where did who go?" Misty asked. She looked around the large silver room, but didn't see anything. Not a person, not a Pokémon.

Ash pointed to three platforms wired to a larger one. "Those three spots were holding Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie!" Ash yelled in frustration. "That big damn pile of red crystals is even gone!"

"Come on," Misty said. "We've got to go back. There's nothing here, and there's no other way to go."

"But…" Ash started.

"If we get caught, that's it! We're done!" Misty hissed. "We've got to keep moving!"

"Fine." Ash followed Misty and Pikachu out, and they were quickly back in the elevator room.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled. His ears twitched at something.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "You hear something?"

"Pi." Pikachu walked to the south door. As Ash and Misty drew closer, they began to hear it as well. Cheers and a loud speaking voice were just barely audible through the metal.

"They must all be in the auditorium!" Ash exclaimed.

Misty looked around quickly. "Is there a bathroom around here?"

Ash sweatdropped. "Uh, Misty, is now really the best time for that?"

"Come on, Ash!" Misty said impatiently. "I just want somewhere to stuff my body so you can pull my spirit out and we can get in that auditorium unseen!"

"Oh, right!" He thought for a second. "Come on, there's one down the hall Brock and Natty went through. Follow me!" He led her and Pikachu through it, to the second door on the left. Once they were in the bathroom, Misty locked the door behind them.

"Should we barricade it?" Ash asked.

"No time! Come on, that'll have to do!" Misty dragged him into a stall, then closed the door.

"This would be uncomfortable if I couldn't just stick my arms through the walls," Ash remarked, sticking his arms through the walls.

Misty situated herself, trying to get where she wouldn't fall when she lost muscle control. She looked at Pikachu. "Okay, Pikachu. You're my guardian. Anybody comes in here…"

"Pik pichu!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he released some built up electricity.

"As hard as you can. Unless it's Brock or Natty," she added as an afterthought. Misty let her head fall loose on her neck. "I'm good, Ash. Pull me."

"Okay, just relax." Misty closed her eyes and let her muscles go limp as Ash reached into her head, pulling her spirit free as fast as he could.

Soon, she was floating in the stall next to him. "Everything good?" he asked.

"Seems like it. Come on!" She flew through the walls of the bathroom, back towards the auditorium.

As they approached, the voice they had heard grew clearer, until they flew through the last door into the enormous amphitheater.

At least one hundred Team Galactic members stood cheering at the words of a man on a balcony above them. The speaker was tall and rough, with striking angular features and spiky blue hair. He wore a unique variation on the Team Galactic uniform, with black striped pants and shirt under a Galactic grey vest. The clearest features on him, even from the floor, were his eyes: gray, emotionless and empty eyes. The eyes of a man who would sacrifice a hundred men without blinking if it served his ends.

"…efforts have not been in vain!" Ash and Misty caught the tail end of the man's sentence as they entered the room. "We set out to collect the tools to forge a new world, and now I tell you that your hands, all of your hands, have brought those tools together!" He motioned, and three people came forward. Two of them, Commanders Saturn and Jupiter, Ash and Misty recognized. They assumed the third, another woman in a skirt and dark red hair, was another Commander. Each of the three held up an Orb.

"Behold! The Summoning Orbs!" A great storm of cheering came up. "With these, we will call Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina!"

The boss raised one hand, revealing a fingerless glove with a red gem set in the palm. The gem glowed, and three Pokémon came forward, their eyes and the red jewels on their heads glowing in sync with the one on his palm. "The Lake Guardians! Azelf! Mesprit! Uxie! Their powers will fuel the Red Chains!"

He raised up a red crystalline chain with his gloved hand. "The Red Chains! The will of Arceus flows through them. They will bind the Dragons to our command!"

Ash turned away from the spectacle as another cheer rose. "Misty, what do we do?"

"I don't know," she said. "Everyone's watching up there. There's no way we can get anything away from them without being caught, even invisible!"

"Maybe if we wait, they'll put all the stuff somewhere until they go?" Ash suggested.

"No… I don't think so," Misty answered slowly. "I think that this is a wrap-up party, not a pep talk. They're about to leave, and they're trying to give one last thanks to their Team."

"I wish that didn't make sense."

The boss finally spoke again. "Know this, Team Galactic: we go now to Spear Pillar, to create a new world for all of us. Though most of you will not be joining us, remember that you are all Team Galactic. Team Galactic will be responsible for the new world, and so each and every one of you will be responsible for it. Now, who are we?"

"**Galactic!**" came the answering cry.

"May our reach extend to the galaxies themselves!"

The boss and the three Commanders left the balcony, and the Team on the floor started milling around, moving towards the exits.

"Misty!" Ash said. "I think they're done! If we stick around much longer, we're going to have the whole Team to deal with!"

"But the Orbs…"

"Forget the Orbs!" Ash shouted. "We can't get them, we waited too long! We've got to go get Brock and Natty and rescue Brian!"

"But…" Looking into Ash's determined eyes, she realized he was right for once. She nodded, and they flew back to the bathroom.

"Do you think they got the Azure Flute?" Misty asked.

"Let's hope so."

* * *

The scientist laughed. "As you can see, your friend is one of us now."

"What did you do to him?" Natty demanded.

Brian spoke to her, his voice enraptured. "He showed me the light, Natalia." He held up a red crystal identical to the one that was embedded in his forehead. "He opened my mind and put me on the right path. I can show you too… just accept this gift."

He dashed towards her, sending Natty scrambling over a lab table to get away from him.

"Surely you won't refuse my hospitality, Natalia," Brian warned. The red gleam in his eyes grew stronger.

"Oh, I think I will!" Natty cried, an edge of hysteria creeping into her voice.

The scientist laughed. "Oh, happy day!" He clapped. "To have my experiments with the Red Chains turn out so successful! Even against a former friend, his rebellion is under my control!" Then his smile vanished. "And yet… I don't quite think I wish to test my limits by controlling three unwilling minds just yet. Brian?"

Brian turned to him. "Yes, Quasar?"

"Destroy them." Again, the red glow appeared by Quasar, but this time it was obvious that it came from a red gem on his palm.

The crystal on Brian's forehead flashed at the same time. "Of course, sir," Brian said smoothly, turning back to Natalia. He reached for a Pokéball, pulling it free from his belt. "Roserade!" The green Bouquet Pokémon came out, her green cape wrapped around herself. Roserade looked around for the Pokémon she would battle. "Roserade, use Bullet Seed on Natalia."

Roserade looked shocked for a moment. Her trainer had never asked her to attack someone before. "Rose?"

"You heard me! Bullet Seed! Now!"

Roserade turned, an unspoken apology in her eyes, then held out her bouquet-like arms at Natty. Natty just barely jumped down behind a table before the onslaught flew by her.

"Energy Ball on the table!"

Natty rolled away, taking refuge behind another marble table just as the place she had been hiding was reduced to dust and shards by the attack.

_Can't keep dodging forever,_ she thought. She grabbed Houndoom's Pokéball and called him out. Standing up, she yelled "Flamethrower!" Houndoom leapt over the dividing table and shot a stream of fire at Roserade. Against the type trump, she didn't stand a chance. When the flames subsided, Roserade was down.

"I don't want to fight you, Brian," Natty said cautiously.

"I wouldn't want to fight me either," he said with a vicious grin. He pulled in Roserade without a word to her.

_He doesn't care about her,_ Natty realized. _Whoever this Brian is, he doesn't even care about his own Pokémon_. _What's happened to him?_

Then Brian did exactly what Natty had feared most. "Slifer! End this." The Dragonite gave his usual roar as he came out of the Pokéball.

Natty glanced sideways at Brock, who was just barely starting to move around again. Then she thought through all her Pokémon's abilities, thinking what she had to beat a powerful Dragonite.

She came up blank.

"Attack Houndoom with Thunder!"

"Houndoom!" Natty's mind was completely locked as the Thunder attack arced across the room and struck Houndoom in the horns. The powerful attack sent Houndoom to his knees.

"Are you okay?" Natty asked. Houndoom didn't respond, but stood up again and howled at his opponent. "Okay, try a Crunch!"

Brian rolled his eyes. "Don't even dodge it. Counter with Dragon Rush."

Slifer glowed as the two Pokémon charged at one another. Houndoom's teeth collided with Dragonite's shoulder, and the two Pokémon recoiled away. Houndoom flew through the lab from the force of the charge, landing in the pile of rubble from the destroyed table. He didn't get up.

"Houndoom!" Natty ran to her Pokémon. "Thank you," she said with tears in her eyes. She recalled the downed Dark-type.

"It's over, Natalia. Slifer, use Hyper Beam on her."

Slifer turned to his master in disbelief. "Dra?"

"Do not disobey! I said attack her!" Brian ordered harshly.

"Slifer…" Natty said quietly. The Dragon turned back to her. "Don't listen to him. That's not Brian. That scientist did something to him, something wrong. He's not himself."

Quasar grit his teeth. "Destroy her! _Now!_" The crystal on his hand and the one on Brian's forehead both flashed urgently. Brian's eyes were almost solid red at this point.

"I'm trying, sir! Slifer, I am your trainer and you will do as I command!"

Slifer growled in confusion.

"Slifer, you know Brian would never ask you to do that!" Natty cried. "It's the thing on his head! The Red Chain piece! Destroy it!"

"Slifer, if you refuse to obey, then I will find a Pokémon who will," Brian said coldly. "Return." He held out Slifer's Pokéball and pulled him into it. "Now, Steelix—"

"I don't think so!"

From the spot he had been laying, Brock leapt up and ran at Brian. Too surprised to dodge, Brian took Brock's fist right to his forehead. He slammed back into the wall, and as he hit it there was one last bright flash of crimson light.

The shards of the Red Chain fragment fell to the floor.

"Wow…" Brian slid down the wall until he was seated. "Brock, you can sure hit hard."

"When you train Rock Pokémon, you've got to be able to take a hit and give one right back," Brock replied evenly. He rubbed his jaw. "But you've got a good arm yourself."

"Brian? Is it you?" Natty asked, taking a tentative step forward.

Brian's eyes went wide as he realized what he had been doing. "Oh my… what in Arceus' name have I done?"

"Brian!" Natty ran and slid down to him, wrapping him in a hug. "Oh, thank Mew, you're you again."

"Natty, I'm so sorry," he said, shaking a bit with relief and sadness. "I couldn't think. That Chain was doing all the thinking for me. And… Quasar!"

Quasar, who had been taking a few slow steps away, was suddenly caught with by a hand on his shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" Brock asked icily.

"Well, there's a rally, you see," Quasar babbled, "so I really should be leaving."

"Brock, would you please hold him still for me?" Brian asked.

"Gladly," Brock replied.

Natty helped Brian up, and they walked together towards Quasar. Brian drew his sword and held it at Quasar's throat.

"You horrible, brainwashing monster." Brian said, eyes narrowed in fury. "Forcing me to work for you, making me attack my best friends! Give me one reason… Give me one excellent reason not to kill you where you stand!"

"I'll unlock the Azure Flute, I'll give you access to all Team Galactic's files, I'll give you whatever you want, just don't kill me!" Quasar stammered quickly.

"Give me the glove," Brian demanded. Quasar ripped it off and held it out to him.

Brian snatched it up and handed it to Natty. "Natty, there's a pile of red crystals in the corner. Would you please throw this evil thing onto it?"

"With gusto," she replied brightly. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Take this." He gave her Slifer's Pokéball. "I think you can figure out what to do."

Natty ran to the corner and tossed the glove onto the pile. Then she called out Slifer.

"Slifer, use Hyper Beam on the Red Chains!" Natty ordered happily.

Slifer roared, charging the attack and firing quickly. The room shook as the leftover materials were shattered. When the smoke cleared, a fine pink dust covered the area where they had been.

"No! That was my best work!" Quasar lamented.

"Shut up or it'll be your last work," Brock demanded.

He shut up.

"Now, I think you owe us a flute?" Brian asked calmly.

"The computer unlocks the case!" Quasar replied quickly.

"Natty, hold this for me," Brian said. She took the sword from him, and he walked to the computer. "Password?"

"G four one four C seven one C!" Quasar squawked in fear.

"Hell, I could've guessed that," Brian snorted. He started typing. "Okay, I've got a whole bunch of Galactic data files, so I'm gonna just e-mail those to myself... doo do doo… More data I don't care about… Here we go! Unlock Azure Flute Case! I'm gonna need another password…"

"It's Leon! Capital L-e-o-n!"

"Molto bene."

The case in the center of the room clicked open, and the glass around the Azure Flute retracted into the base.

"Get the Ocarina of Time or whatever and go!" Brian yelled.

Brock pushed away the scientist as they started to run. He grabbed the Azure Flute, and they sprinted out of the lab.

"Okay, let's find Ash and Misty and get out of here before all hell breaks loose!" Brock said.

Then all hell broke loose.

A loud klaxon started sounding throughout the base, and the lights flashed red.

"The alarm!" Natty said in alarm.

"Damn him! Quasar must have set it off!" Brian yelled.

"No time to complain, let's move!" Brock said. As they ran down the hall, a door opened. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu came out.

"Was that a bathroom?" Brian asked, puzzled.

"Yes, what's happening?" Misty returned breathlessly.

"It's the alarm. If Team Galactic's here, they'll be coming any second!" Brock explained.

"Crap, run!" Ash flew ahead and opened the door back to the elevator room.

"Still no guards! We're home free!" Natty cried giddily upon entering the empty room.

But as they ran to the elevator doors, the southern door opened, and Galactic members started pouring out.

"Oh, hell," Misty cursed.

As the Galactic members surrounded them at last, the five trainers and Pikachu backed against the elevator doors. There wasn't even room to call a Pokémon to help as Team Galactic closed in.

"Well… good to see you again, Brian," Misty muttered dejectedly. "How was your guys' mission?"

"Okay, I guess," Brian responded, eyes still searching for an increasingly unlikely exit. "We got the Flute, at least. And they rescued me. How about you?"

"Total bust; Galactic had already cleared out everything on our end. Not that it matters much now, I guess."

Ash took Misty's hand. "It was fun while it lasted, though, right?"

"Pika."

"Yeah, sure," Brock said. "Told you we wouldn't get him back."

Stubborn to the end, Misty shot back, "Shut up. We haven't lost yet."

"Of course not," Brock replied drily. "But I'm curious, how do you plan to get out of this one?"

_Ding!_

The trainers almost fell into the elevator as it opened. In fact, they would have, had it not been for the team of Jennies that caught them.

"Police! Nobody move!" One of the officers ordered.

In the face of fifteen cops blocking their only known exit, with more surely surrounding the building above, the Team Galactic members did what any low-rank criminals would do: they turned and ran. The Jennies in the elevator ran after them, filing past the teenagers in front.

"Hey!"

"Oh, thank Mew for familiar voices," Misty said, turning around. Left in the elevator was Cynthia, who had apparently come to back them up.

"Looks like you guys needed my help after all, huh?" She smirked.

"Yes, please," Brock said sheepishly.

"Come on!" Ash said, pushing everyone into the elevator. "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Natty asked.

"Spear Pillar!" Ash jabbed the up button until the door closed.

Misty filled in everyone on what she and Ash had seen and heard in the auditorium as the elevator rose.

The doors opened, and another Jenny ran towards them. "Master Cynthia!"

"What is it?" Cynthia asked.

"Two transport helicopters just took off from behind the building!"

"That's got to be the boss and Commanders!" Misty guessed. "They must have had a secret exit. They're on their way to Spear Pillar!"

"Come on," Cynthia said. "We'll take my Jeep there."

"How? We don't even know where 'there' is!" Ash exclaimed.

Brian snapped his fingers. "I mailed a bunch of Galactic data to myself from Quasar's computer! I'd bet anything the location is in those."

"Tell me your e-mail and password, and we'll search the files while you're on the way to Mount Coronet," Jenny suggested, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.

"Login is bedwards on the Pokémon League site. Password is diana6. No caps."

"Thanks! We're on the case!" Jenny said. She saluted Cynthia and then ran back to her car.

Cynthia looked at the collected trainers. "Come on, my Jeep is out front." She started running towards it, and they followed behind.

* * *

"Uh… sir?"

Cyrus was seated alone on one side of the chopper. He looked across, where his three Commanders were seated across the opposite wall. "What is it, Commander Mars?"

Mars glanced at her leader uneasily. "I've lost contact with the base. It's been completely overrun by the police."

Cyrus nodded. "Hmm. Unfortunate, but it hardly matters now. They can have the base and the rest of the world if they want it. It's going to be gone soon anyway."

"What about the group that infiltrated the base? Those children?" Saturn asked. "I imagine they told the police where the base was. One of the last reports did say they were in the building, right before the officers arrived. They might—"

Cyrus waved a hand indifferently, the gem on it flashing in the low light of dawn. "Their resistance to our goals, while somewhat impressive, is irrelevant at this point. What could they do to stop us now? By the time anyone realizes where we're going, the Dragons will be under my control, and my world will have been created."

"Too true, Boss," Jupiter agreed. She picked up the radio and flipped channels. "Charon? How are things back there?"

"Never better, never better!" Charon chuckled through the radio. "The tools are all sitting tight. No problems at all."

"Excellent. Keep us updated."

"Of course, madam, of course!"

"What's our estimated time to the site?" Cyrus asked casually.

"About twenty minutes, sir," Saturn replied.

"Good. Alert me if anything changes."

"Yes sir."

And the helicopter flew on.

* * *

"_Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call, phone call! Ring ring ri—"_

The annoying voice of Cynthia's cell phone cut off as she picked it up.

"This is Cynthia," the Master answered, yelling over the wind. "What news?" The other occupants of her car watched her warily, torn between interest in the call and fright at their current speed; they were blazing through Sinnoh at about one hundred twenty miles an hour. The car flew up the road between Solaceon Town and Hearthome City. Cynthia nodded, glancing down at the car's console for a minute before saying, "Yeah, I've got one." She held the phone away from her mouth long enough to yell, "Misty! I'm going to give you some coordinates to plug in the GPS."

From her seat beside Cynthia, Misty nodded. Leaning down and holding down her hat with one hand, she fiddled with the onboard computer for a minute.

"Okay! Ready?" Cynthia glanced at Misty. "Latitude, North 43 degrees, 35 minutes, 30 seconds! Longitude, West 142 degrees, 53 minutes, 40.5 seconds!"

"Got it!" Misty said, punching in the last numbers.

"_Analyzing…_" The computer stated blandly. Then its blank electronic voice started spouting directions. "_Continue straight fifteen point six miles, then turn left onto Route 208._"

"Okay, that should lead us right to their dig site," Cynthia explained.

"How far ahead are they?" Brock asked from the back seat.

"I estimate that they're going roughly one and a quarter times our speed," Cynthia said. "So they'll beat us to the site by about seven minutes if nothing stops us."

Brian scanned the sky, spotting the two tiny dots near the horizon that they knew to be the last members of Team Galactic. "How long do they need?"

"Who knows?" Cynthia yelled. "Our only advantage is they won't be expecting us. They couldn't have known Ash and Misty were watching their speech, so they don't know we know about the Red Chains or where they're going. I'm just hoping that whatever ceremony they have to do once they get to the Pillar takes a while!"

"Let's hope," Brock agreed.

Ash suddenly started to hear a rapid clicking sound. "What's that?" He wondered aloud. "Is something wrong with the engine?"

Misty turned her head to get the sound of rushing wind out of her ears. She could hear it too. "No, it's coming from the back seat." Brian and Brock looked around for the source. Then they spied Natty, who was huddled up. The sound was her teeth chattering.

"S-s-s-sorry," she said, shivering. "I'm r-r-r-really cold. My j-jacket's back at th-the Center."

"Natty!" Brian admonished. "Why didn't you say something?" He looked again at his Galactic uniform with distaste. "And I don't even have my jacket to give you. Oh, well." He put an arm around her, covering as much of her bare arms as he could. "Do what you can, I guess."

"Oh!" Natty said in surprise. Her teeth stopped chattering, and her face went from white to red. "Thanks."

And the Jeep drove on.

* * *

By the time Cyrus was out of the helicopter, his top Scientist Charon ( a short, balding, fat man with beady eyes and red glasses) and his two chosen men had already unloaded half of what they needed: the cannon loaded with the Red Chains and a hovering platform holding the Orbs and the Spear Key.

"Good work, Charon," Cyrus said. He started delegating tasks. "Men! Assist Charon with the cannon. Saturn, Jupiter, you handle the items. Mars, you dug this tunnel, lead the way." He held out his hand towards the second helicopter. In a voice booming with power, he commanded "Azelf, Mesprit, Uxie! Follow me."

With weak cries of assent, the Lake Guardians floated out of the cargo bay, quietly lining up behind the Galactic Boss.

The Team slowly wheeled and floated the equipment down the long tunnel, which curved around and down for about two hundred feet. Needless to say, they were soon at the bottom. They stopped in front of the entrance, a jumbled display of strips of silver metal with a gold ball in the center.

"Sir? What do we do now?" Mars asked. She saw no keyhole or lock of any kind.

Cyrus reached an open palm towards the door. "Saturn. Take the Key to the door."

"Yes, sir." The blue-haired Commander walked briskly around the hovering platform and carefully took the Speak Key, a flat maze of connected cubes in both hands. He took slow, measured steps towards the entrance. As he reached it, to his surprise, the Key started to react. It shone white, floating out of his hands and spinning until it was upright and perpendicular to the door. Then the Key moved towards the door, but instead of hitting it, it phased through the golden ball, causing ripples on the surface as though the gold was water. The entire door glowed white in response. All the strips of metal on the door began to shift around, spinning together like a puzzle until they were formed a smooth circular door, split down the middle around the golden ball. Cyrus held out his gloved hand towards the ball, touching it with the Red Chain fragment. The ball shone bright white, then vanished. The doors split apart, and Cyrus walked through alone.

He walked into a cave in utter darkness. Before him, he could barely make out the edge of an abyss from the light behind him. He stepped towards it. As his boot hit the ground, a lattice of lines appeared, shaped like a very long step up. Cyrus put one foot out, careful to keep his weight on the stone below, and lightly lowered it towards the step. When his foot landed, another step lit up. Then another, and another, going up and up and up, nearly as far as he could see. Finally, at the very end, he could see one last enormous area appear. Cyrus nodded in understanding, then motioned for the rest of his team to follow. With confidence and self-control, he walked briskly towards the top of the stairway, the Lake Guardians still right behind him.

Behind him, Cyrus heard Charon shout "Well, what are you all dawdling for? Get a move on!" He heard the grinding wheels as the cannon started into the cavern. Because of the difficulty for the cannon going up stairs, the hovering Orb platform quickly moved ahead of Charon's grunts and the cannon.

They climbed up and up, until Cyrus was almost certain that they were nearing the top of the mountain. He looked back. The Orbs and his Commanders were right behind him, and a little ways back he could see Charon yelling at the grunts to move faster. It was almost enough to make him smile. He turned his eyes back towards the top, and took the last few steps to his destination. At long last, he stepped off the last step, onto the stone foundations of Spear Pillar.

With the very first step, he felt the power of this place assault his mind like heavy, humid air. It was hard to force himself to move towards the center of the Pillar, but if there was anything Cyrus had, it was a strong will. He walked forward, trying his best to ignore the force exerting itself on him. He looked around, and at last the name of this place was made clear. A dozen pillars adorned this hall, each one ending in a sharp point as though they had been broken off and filed down by the ravages of time, so that they looked like an array of uneven spears aimed at the heavens.

Finally, he came to stand in the center of the Spear Pillar. Inscribed on the ground was an enormous triangle circumscribed in a circle. At each of the three points of the triangle, a circle was set, and the three sides of the triangle each had a smaller pedestal sitting against them, with a smaller triangle connecting each of those three pedestals together. Cyrus looked around and instantly knew what to do.

"Saturn, Jupiter, Mars: each of you take an Orb."

Silenced with awe at the place, the three Commanders all took one of the three. Saturn took the Adamant Orb, Mars the Lustrous Orb, and Jupiter the Griseous Orb.

"Place each orb on one of the three pedestals." Each of the three took a place. Jupiter put her orb in the back while Mars and Saturn placed their orbs on the front two pedestals. When all three were in place, there was a hum, and energy thrummed through the air like a deep sound. The outer triangle and circle lit up gold. Cyrus moved forward to stand outside the circle, just in front of the top of the triangle, and held out his hand. "Now! Lake Guardians, take your places!" Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie each floated to sit over one of the three circles. "Azelf! Mesprit! Uxie! Channel your power into these Orbs, and summon the three Dragons of Creation!"

"Zelf!"

"Sprit!"

"Xie!"

The Lake Trio gave cries of effort as they poured their spirits into the three Orbs. As their colorful auras mixed in the center into a bright white light, the inner triangle and three circles lit up, along with the three Orbs. The Orbs shone brighter and brighter until, finally, each one shot a beam forward. The beams crossed over each other in midair before disappearing at three points above the back of Spear Pillar. As they vanished, an enormous burst of energy whipped up the wind and sent it flying back at Team Galactic. Then the wind ceased, and three points of light appeared: one blue, one pink, and one grey. The lights grew…

* * *

A pulse of energy thrummed through the cavern.

"Did everyone else feel that?" Ash yelled as they ran down the tunnel.

"Yes!" Cynthia exclaimed. "They must be summoning the Dragons right now! We're out of time!"

"Then _run!_" Misty sped up further still, driving everyone else to follow her even faster than before. Pikachu was barely holding on to her shoulder.

They ran under a metal archway and screeched to a halt as they reached the steps of light that led to the Pillar.

"What the hell is this?" Brian asked from the back of the group.

Misty gingerly tested the first step. "Whatever it is, it's solid. Come on, this has got to be it!" Misty and Ash started running up the steps, and once again the rest followed in their footsteps.

The final path to Spear Pillar flew by swiftly, too swiftly for them to really consider the magnitude of what they were doing, how close all their goals were to either completion or utter ruination. No time to think of getting Ash back. No time to consider the fact that Galactic might win. No time for any thoughts at all. Just the pounding of feet and hearts as the final destination came into sight.

"Now."

"Yes!" As the group reached the top of the stairs, a squat scientist signaled to his two henchmen. "And… fire!" The two turned the cannon towards a growing light source at the other end of the Pillar. They fired quickly at the blue light, a ruby bolt flying into the air. Even before the bolt had reached its target, the pair had already turned and fired again at the grey light, then one final time at the pink one.

As the red light began to solidify and form rings around the lights, Misty took action. "Pikachu, destroy that cannon!"

The yellow Pokémon jumped from her shoulder and took aim. "Pi-ka-_chuuuuuuuu_!" The lighting arced forward into the cannon, causing an explosion that threw the two Galactic grunts out and away. They each hit pillars and landed with quiet thuds, neither one moving.

Galactic's leaders turned and faced the new threats.

"You again!" Saturn said in shock.

Brian ran forward. "Saturn!"

The Commander was speechless. "But—how—"

Mars reached for a Pokéball. "You've messed with our plans long enough! Go, Purugly!"

Jupiter threw her own as well. "Skuntank! End this nuisance!"

Saturn finally overcame his shock long enough to make a move. "Toxicroak!"

The three Pokémon took form between Team Galactic and their opponents.

Brian reached for his own Pokéballs. "Slifer! Clear our path!"

Cynthia moved with him. "Garchomp, show them the power of Dragons!"

"Swampert, let's go!" Brock ordered, evening the two teams.

Cynthia looked at Ash, Misty, and Natty. "We'll deal with these guys! You go help out the Lake Guardians!"

"Right!" Ash exclaimed. The trio ran around the developing battlefield, towards the center.

"I don't think so!" Jupiter cried. "Skuntank, use Flame—"

"Dragon Rush!" Cynthia's command came faster, and the lightning-quick Garchomp flew towards Skuntank, striking at him viciously. Skuntank was too busy prepping to attack the three people to dodge, and so the attack struck right on his flank. The Poison Pokémon flipped from the pure force of the attack, then lay still.

Brian focused on Toxicroak, deciding to end that Pokémon's chance of a quick knockout before it got the opportunity to attack. "Slifer, it's time for your best! _The End of All and Nothing_! Give Toxicroak everything you've got!"

Slifer flew as fast as he could at the toxic monster, pinning his arms and taking Toxicroak to the ground with a furious Slam before he even knew the Dragonite was coming. Then, with Toxicroak lying under his bulk, Dragonite opened his mouth and unleashed a Hyper Beam at point-blank range, striking his foe with all he could muster. The force was powerful enough to blow Slifer right off of Toxicroak, but Toxicroak was left lying in a Toxicroak-shaped crater a foot deep. Needless to say, it wasn't getting up anytime soon.

"Swampert! Mud Bomb!"

After watching her two allies go down so quickly, Mars was determined not to let it happen to her too. "Purugly! Dodge, then Iron Tail!"

"Purr!" As Swampert heaved and spit a ball of mud across the Pillar, Purugly leapt into the air, dodging the Mud Bomb. In midair, she spun around, bringing her glowing tail down onto Swampert. The unfortunate and obvious side effect of the attack was that Purugly ended up right next to Swampert.

Brock pumped a fist. "Shake it off, buddy! Hammer Arm!"

"Swampert!" Raising both hands high, Swampert brought the full force of the Fighting attack onto Purugly's head. Once again, type trump held the day, and the dazed Normal-type feline fell to the ground.

"Agh! No!" Mars cried. "I can't fail!"

"Obviously, you can," Cynthia replied.

Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, and Natty were staring at Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie, trying to figure out what held them in place. The ticking clock of the rapidly developing Pokémon above them drove them on; already, the three lights had formed mostly into the shapes of the Dragon Trio, with only a little bit left until they were completely there. Then Natty spied the solution on Cyrus' open palm: the Red Chain!

Natty turned to her allies. "Guys! The Boss is controlling the Pokémon with Red Chain fragments! If we break the pieces on their heads, they'll be freed!"

"How do you know?" Misty asked.

Natty pulled out a Pokéball. "I just do, okay? I'll explain after we win! Go, Pachirisu!" The white and blue squirrel flew out.

Misty decided not to question it. "Okay, then, come on Starmie!" As Misty reached for the Pokéball containing her chosen Pokemon, another one opened up from her belt, and out came the one Pokémon she didn't want to see at the moment.

She tore at her hair in annoyance. "Gah! I didn't call you, Psyduck! Couldn't you have picked a better time?"

"Sai?" The yellow duck tilted its head in confusion.

"Oh, fine! Just use Confusion on Azelf's Red Chain!"

Ash took command of Pikachu. "Okay, Pikachu, help out Uxie with Thundershock!"

"You too, Pachi! Free Mesprit!"

The three Pokémon struck together, and the Red Chain fragments on the Lake Trios' foreheads shattered, ending the display of lights . As they were finally freed from Cyrus' control, they started to fall. Ash, Misty, and Natty moved quickly, each one catching one of the Lake Pokémon.

"Everyone okay?" Ash asked. Misty and Natty looked at each other, then nodded back to him. "Great!"

"Look! The Dragons are disappearing!" Natty cried happily. Indeed they were. Though they were finally fully formed, with the breaking of Cyrus' hold on the Lake Guardians, the forms of Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina were fading away.

Misty and Natty walked to the front of the circle to stand with Ash. "Looks like your plan failed, huh?" Misty mocked at Cyrus.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Be silent, child," he rebuked. "With the Red Chain under my control, there is nothing that can stop my plans from going forward!"

From behind them, Brock, Brian, and Cynthia finally made their way past their fallen opponents, followed by their Pokémon. As Brian passed by Saturn, he used the opportunity to take a shot at the Commander's face. Running past his falling foe, he yelled over his shoulder "Consider_ that_ payback!"

"Hey! I know him!" Cynthia said in surprise as they stopped beside Ash, Misty, and Natty. "That's Cyrus! He owns half of Sinnoh!"

"That explains where the money for Team Galactic came from," Brian noted, "even if it is completely useless knowledge."

Cyrus paid no attention to the congregation behind him, focusing instead on the Three Dragons before him. While the rest watched, he held out his hand one more time. The gem on it shone brighter than ever before, and the red rings of crystal around the three forms above them solidified, forming red lattices of lines that encircled the fading Pokémon and trapped them. The rings glowed bright. Then, without warning, the forms solidified quickly, and their worst fears were at last made reality as Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina roared into the skies above.

"No!" Cynthia cried. The Dragons of Creation roared in pain, turning and trying to bite at the Red Chains on their backs in vain.

"**Yes!**" Cyrus exclaimed. "Now, ancient creators of Sinnoh! Use your infinite power over space and time and forge my universe!"

The Dragons roared as the Chains glowed. Then they opened their mouths and screamed energy into the space between them, the three beams converging onto a single point. At that point, a globe of power formed and grew. Soon, the orb became as large as the huge Dragons above them, and they could see through it, to the stuff within. Galaxies and nebulae swirled around and around, illustrating the infinite depths contained in the sphere.

Cyrus took slow steps towards it. "This is it! My world! A universe in my image, without spirit or emotion, under my total control!"

Cynthia cried out. "Life can't exist without spirit!"

Cyrus stopped walking. "And without life, there can be no strife. I see no problems if life must be eradicated for suffering to cease."

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn finally ran forward as they saw their Boss' world take shape. Mars spoke. "Finally! We can go to the new universe!"

Cyrus finally turned, ripping his sight from his goal to stare emptily at his three Commanders. "I have no more use for you three. Your mere existence in my world would defy my intentions. You three were useful for your spirits; it is that very quality that would make you all a poison to my new world."

They were shocked. "But—Sir!" Mars shouted in shock.

Charon shook his head with a self-satisfied smirk. "I suspected something like this would happen."

Behind the remnants of Galactic, Cynthia turned to her last hope, Ash and the four trainers who had come so far for him. "We must destroy the Red Chains! If we can remove the Dragons' influence, Cyrus' world will collapse on itself, and the Dragons will be free to return to their respective dimensions!"

"Right!" Ash agreed. "Now let's finish this!"

"Garchomp, Draco Meteor!"

"Hydro Pump, Marshtomp!"

"Thunder, Pikachu!"

Together, they ordered all of their Pokémon to attack one of the three Red Chains: Cynthia's Garchomp aiming at Palkia, Slifer and Marshtomp attacking Giratina, and Pikachu, Psyduck, and Pachirisu striking at Dialga.

With the Red Chains threatened, Cyrus finally took action. "Palkia, Spatial Rend! Dialga, Roar of Time! Giratina, Shadow Force!"

The three Dragons each used their most powerful attacks to block the attacks levied at them. The near-infinite powers of the Creators proved too powerful, and not a single attack won through. Worse still, Shadow Force and Roar of Time tore right through the attacks and continued towards the gathered trainers.

In response to the dire threat, Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit flew up out of their protectors hands and formed a green dome over the six people. The two attacks struck harmlessly against the field, and the Guardians released it.

"They protected us," Misty murmured quietly. The Lake Pokémon turned to them, telepathically crying for help.

"They want us to help the Dragons," Brian said lamely, reiterating what everyone had heard in their heads.

"Okay, let's do it! One more time, everyone!" Brock cried. A shout of support went up from both humans and Pokémon, and each Pokémon attacked one more time. This time, Cyrus was too focused on his new world to order the Dragons to attack again, and the strikes hit each Red Chain. They broke apart, and the Creators fell from the skies. Cyrus' world began to shrink.

"It's over, Cyrus," Cynthia said. He paid her no mind.

"This is my world… my perfect world…" He started walking towards the shrinking sphere once more, and this time he reached it. His feet left the ground, and he floated towards the surface. "All mine…"

"No!" Mars cried. She took a step towards the receding Boss, but Saturn put out a hand to stop her. She looked back, and he shook his head. Jupiter, for her part, was still so shaken by her leader's refusal of her that she was in a state of shock.

Cyrus vanished into the sphere, and it closed in on itself, becoming a shining point of light that rose through the air.

There was a moment of serene silence.

Then Brian coughed, breaking the awkward moment. "Hmm. Excuse me. Well, that's the end of that. So, who's got the—"

With a roar, Giratina raised its head up. Palkia and Dialga followed suit. In anger at Cyrus, or perhaps just anger at the world for their pain, the Three pooled their attacks, and struck at the rising light. Cyrus' world, if it still existed, was broken open, and a dark vortex of energy opened up. Like the wind that struck at them earlier, a powerful current began to pull towards the black hole, drawing things into it. Dust from the floor started to be pulled into it, and the current was growing stronger. Worse still, the black hole was visibly growing.

"It's exactly what I feared!" Cynthia exclaimed. "The Dragons are angry, and they're taking it out on everything! They've decided to destroy it!"

"Destroy what?" Natty cried.

Cynthia gestured around. "_Everything!_"

In the midst of chaos, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie floated serenely upward. They turned around, and each of them gave a short message to the gathered people, thanking them for their help and assuring that they would calm the Dragons down. To that end, the Lake Pokémon moved towards the Dragons. They began to chant in unison, and a bright pink aura exuded towards the Dragons. Dialga's and Palkia's movements slowed, and they began to calm down.

Then Giratina blasted a Shadow Force and smacked the aura right back in their faces with a wave of darkness. The darkness overtook the Lake Pokémon, who floated down, slightly shaken. They tried again, this time focusing on Giratina first. And Giratina was calm for a moment, until a Spatial Rend knocked them out of the air once more. The Lake Pokémon turned inwards in confusion.

"No!" Cynthia yelled, finally understanding. "It's too much power! Together, the Dragons are just too strong! Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie can't put in enough power to stop all three at once!"

"What can we do?" Ash asked, having to shout over the growing wind.

"We can go down fighting!" Brian cried.

"There's no point!" Cynthia despaired. "We don't have anything near strong enough to put a scratch on those monsters."

A lightbulb went off in Misty's head. "Arceus! That's the whole reason we came here, to summon him! We've got the Azure Flute, so why don't we just call him?"

"We can't, remember?" Cynthia shouted. "No one knows the song, or what the hell we would do with it if we did know the song! It's useless!"

"It's all we've got!" Misty shouted right back.

"Just look for anything around here!" Brock said. "Anything that looks like it might be related to the Flute!"

Grudgingly, Cynthia complied. Everyone started looking around, but in vain; there was nothing of obvious importance other than the circle Cyrus had used earlier.

But Brian found his eyes strangely drawn to that circle, even as the pillars started to groan from the wind and it became hard to stand up straight. There was something there, something he had seen before. But what was—

_Click!_

"I've got it!" He cried with glee. "I know what to do! It's utterly idiotic, but I've got it! Where's the Azure Flute?"

Brock pulled it out of a vest pocket. "I've got it right here."

"Bring it here!" Brian demanded. He ran to the center of the circle.

"Okay, but… no!" As Brock turned towards him, the rushing wind suddenly tore at the unprotected Azure Flute, pulling it right out of his hands.

They watched in horror as it tumbled towards the black hole. "_Get it get it get it get it!_" Natty cried hysterically. Everyone ran (and Ash flew) frantically at it, the flute merrily tumbling towards the edge of Spear Pillar. Then, in a stroke of incredible fortune, the mouthpiece caught in the stone. It was just a second, just a tiny hiccup in the Flute's rolling, but it was all Misty needed to reach it and scoop it up with both hands. "Got it!"

But as Misty grabbed it, her hat, Ash's hat, the last thing she had from him, blew away. It was pulled into the black hole, beyond all hope of recovery. "No!" She cried once. She stared longingly after it for a moment, then forced herself to turn around.

There were more important things than hats right now.

She sprinted through the wind to Brian, who had returned to the circle's center. "Here!" She shoved the Azure Flute into his hands.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he took it. "Thanks, Misty. That was too close. Okay… Now, it's one of the songs I know. I hope."

"You _hope?_" Misty asked wildly.

"Like you said, it's all we've got." Then he put the Azure Flute to his lips and closed his eyes.

Natty had one last word. "Wait! I thought the only songs you knew were—"

He started to play.

There are those who argue that everything in the world is predestined, that cause and effect are interchangeable sometimes, and that despite all of that, there is an order to everything. Whether those people are correct or not, one could not argue that that moment didn't carry quite a bit of coincidence with it. That the one person in the world capable of putting all the pieces together would be brought to that exact spot at that exact moment by chance was a thing of wild improbability.

But whether destiny or fate or just plain luck drove it on, it has to be said that what happened next definitely happened.

Brian played the song, the song he knew he had to play the instant he recognized the symbol on the ground. It was a low, flowing song, carrying a sense of nobility and importance. The Azure Flute added a strange echoing quality to it, drawing out feelings of peace and well-being to all those who heard it. As he played, one by one they recognized it, and almost laughed as they saw what Brian had seen. Then the laughter died in their throats as something happened. As Brian finished the song and started again at the beginning, the wind suddenly became less powerful. Lines on the ground started to glow. The two triangles shone gold, and the gold spread out of the lines. Though the inner triangle stayed dark, the light spread until the outer triangle (or, as it might be said at this point, the outer _three_ triangles) was shining bright. The light rose off the stone image, staying together as they spun through the air. For an instant, they stood tall, pointing to the sky: three golden triangles, each one exactly like the other two, each one perfect in its own right and perfect as part of the whole.

As Brian finished playing the song the second time through and let the Azure Flute fall from his lips, the three triangles broke apart, spinning rapidly. They moved towards the center of the larger triangle they had comprised, forming a spinning nine-pointed star. The star spun faster and faster, the points blurring together until they formed an enormous golden circle. Then, from that circle, a wondrous sight appeared. The white and gold form of Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon, burst forth, crying triumphantly in a voice that seemed to echo from a different dimension through all time and space.

"_It is time!_" The Original One's voice pierced their minds. No one could be sure whether he was speaking out loud or telepathically; the voice was simply _everywhere._

"It's him," Cynthia said in awe. "It's really him!"

Together, Ash, Misty, and Brock added "Arceus!"

Arceus cantered through the air, then moved down and landed on the stone platform of Spear Pillar. He turned to face the gathered humans. "_I thank you. Your sacrifices and the skills that have allowed you to come this far reflect well on you all._" He turned to face the Three Dragons. "_Now,_ _my children…__** be still!**__" _On Arceus' back, a gold ring, which was shaped almost exactly like the Red Chains that had trapped Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina earlier, started to shine. The roars of the Dragons ceased, and they each lowered their heads in the face of their Creator.

"_You have no more business here. Return from whence you came, and be at peace!_" With one last roar each, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina glowed their respective colors, turning into formless fogs of blue, pink, and grey. The glowing mists receded, and soon they were gone. As the Dragons vanished, the black hole they had created collapsed on itself as well, the dark center shrinking until, with an audible pop, it vanished in a flash of white light.

And all was still.

Cynthia started to laugh, a high, pleasant sound. "In all my years of training and being a Master, I think that this is the very best moment I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But how did you know?"

"Well, I guess it was just a guess," Brian responded, gazing at Arceus with a satisfied grin. "But if there's one thing I've learned in this life, it's that when you see the Triforce on the ground, you play Zelda's Lullaby and hope something happens. As for why that worked… your guess is as good as mine."

"_I will explain,_" Arceus said, turning back to the gathered trainers. "_You see, long ago I looked into the future, and saw this moment coming. And I knew that in the end, without my help, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina would destroy the world I worked so hard to create. So I looked through time and found the pasts of the people I foresaw gathered here, and I decided to fashion a call to myself that I knew one of those people would know. And so I created the Azure Flute and the song that would summon me based on his memories."_

"So… then… you used us as an _alarm clock?_" Misty yelled indignantly.

"_I apologize, but it was either that or allowing the universe to be destroyed. I am powerful, and I do have the ability to see the past and future, but I am neither omniscient nor omnipotent nor omnipresent. I had to have _some_ way of knowing when the moment for me to come here arrived. I assume you __**like**__ being alive?" _Arceus chuckled a little; for a near-deity, he was much more laid-back than any of them had expected.

"Wait, wait, wait… no, that doesn't work." Natty said thoughtfully.

"Hey, that's right," Brock agreed. "You can't have predicted we would come here _before_ you made the Azure Flute. If not for us hearing about it and the song, we wouldn't have come!"

"Oh, no, they're right! It's a paradox! Does that mean the universe is going to collapse?" Ash exclaimed in fearful alarm.

At Ash's outburst, Arceus erupted into full-fledged laughter before explaining further. "_Had I not done as I did, you would have come here anyway. In chasing the Time Pokémon Celebi across the world, you would have encountered Team Galactic when they stole the Orbs and decided to stop them, which would have led you to be here when Cyrus summoned my children. I admit, some things would have been slightly different, but the base timeline would have been much the same._"

"And the universe?" Ash repeated.

"_Will be fine." _Arceus completed warmly. He turned his attention to Ash. "_Now, you and your friends have been extremely courageous in coming here and thwarting Team Galactic, and especially freeing Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie._" Arceus glanced happily at the Lake Trio, who were floating silently around Spear Pillar."_But I know why you have __**really**__ come here._"

"Yeah," Ash replied quietly. He looked at his shoes sheepishly; now that the moment had finally come, it was a bit embarrassing to actually ask the impossibly powerful Pokémon who had just saved them from utter annihilation for a favor. "Um, Arceus, sir… I would really like it if I could get my body back. And you're kind of known for doing that sort of thing, so…"

Arceus closed his eyes, deep in thought. "_I think that your request is within my power. Come forward, Ash._"

Ash floated towards the equine Pokémon, stopping just short of Arceus.

"_Now focus on the image of your body in your mind, and I will do all I can._"

"Thank you, Arceus," Ash murmured. Both he and the Alpha closed their eyes, and Arceus raised one thin leg to touch Ash's forehead.

A light hum filled the air, emanating from Arceus. Once again, the ring on his back glowed a bright gold, and this time, so did Ash. They stayed that way for a few silent seconds. Then shining particles started to appear. Looking a lot like Ash's spirit tears, they floated in from every side, congregating on the floor at Arceus' feet. When a large pile of the dust had formed, it started to shift and flow about, forming a humanoid form. After a few moments more, the shape began to become defined: spiky hair first, then the long, thin limbs.

Misty's heart rose as the body became clearer and clearer. Then, finally, the light around Ash, Arceus, and the body all faded, and the new form was made: a perfect replica of Ash's spirit, but made of flesh and blood. The body started to breathe slowly.

"_It is done,_" Arceus said simply.

Ash turned and looked down at the empty body. "Well…" he started. "Here goes nothing." Kneeling next to the shell, he reached out with a hand trembling with excitement. His fingers barely brushed the forehead so very like his own.

The instant contact was made, the body pulled him violently in. He felt the satisfying lock that Misty had felt several times before as every bit of his spirit connected to his body. For a moment, he simply lay there, his friends watching in tense anticipation.

Ash's eyes fluttered open.

"Well… that felt nice…" Ash mumbled. He sat up, rubbing at his hair.

"Ash!" Misty cried out in joy. She ran to him, half tackling him in her haste, surrounding him with her arms and covering him in kisses.

Ash laughed with sheer delight. "Misty, calm down!" He gave her one kiss back, then pushed her roughly off so he could get up. "We've got the rest of our lives for that."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu ran to Ash the moment he stood up and jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash said, hugging the Pokémon tight.

"Pika pikachu pichu pika?" Pikachu asked Ash.

"Um… we'll talk about it," Ash said, glancing at Misty. "Later."

Natty turned to Brock, one hand outstretched. "Okay, we've got him. Pay up."

The breeder grit his teeth. "My wallet's at the Center. I think this moment can wait!"

With a cheerful laugh, Brian slapped Brock on the back. "Hey, you should have known not to bet against Misty."

Arceus looked down at the humans, pleased. "_Well… I have accomplished all I came here for. And yet…_" he tilted his head, looking down at Ash. "_Something is missing. Ah!_" With another quiet pop, a red and white spot appeared in front of Arceus and floated down to land right on Ash's head. When it touched him, it expanded until the familiar article fit onto his head. Ash touched it, realizing what it was.

"Hey! My hat! But I thought it was gone…"

"_Consider it a gift._" Arceus gave one last pleased roar, that sound that echoed through time, before bounding into the air.

"Thank you, Arceus!" Ash said, waving happily. "I hope we meet again someday!"

Misty smiled up at the Alpha at Ash's side. "Thanks so much! I wish we could ever repay you for this!"

"_You already have, Misty. You already have. Farewell, my friends!_" Arceus galloped into the circle of light, and with a bright flash, the Arceus and the portal both vanished, leaving Spear Pillar as it had been.

* * *

Things moved very quickly after that.

With their captors gone, and the problems over, Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie just disappeared with Arceus, presumably returning to their homes in the Lakes.

The three Commanders and Charon had fled the Spear Pillar the instant Arceus arrived, right into the waiting arms of the International Police force that was tracking Cynthia. They were thrown in jail along with their many followers, awaiting trial for countless crimes and conspiracies. The two grunts from the Pillar were carried out by Slifer and Garchomp, and were also turned over to the Police.

Cynthia gladly took Ash, Misty, Brock, Natty, and Brian back to the Veilstone Pokémon Center. While they waited for their Pokémon to be revitalized, each of them gave statements to the Police to be used in court against Team Galactic, ensuring they wouldn't be tied up for months testifying in all the cases against the members of the Team. Once they were done, Cynthia thanked them and bid them all farewell; she had a ton of work in store helping clean up after Galactic, and even more work back at her home chronicling all she had learned about the Sinnoh myths. She took the Azure Flute with her, promising that it would never fall into the wrong hands again.

And with that, the adventure was over.

The five trainers and Pikachu sat in a state of half contentment and half disbelief in their Pokémon Center room.

"Man, it is good to be out of that horrible uniform," Brian said, falling back onto a bed. "I was starting to chafe."

Natty patted his leg. "You looked good in it, though," she comforted. "The form fit was flattering."

"You never did explain how you ended up in that thing," Misty noted. "What happened in there?"

Brian shuddered a little. "Well, I was captured, then beaten a bit, then left in a room for days. And then… they used the Red Chain on me."

"What did that do?" Ash asked.

Brian tapped his forehead. "Mind control. Like what Cyrus did to the Lake Guardians." Brian sat up and looked away, speaking softly. "It was horrible… I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I couldn't stop. And when they ordered me to attack Brock and Natty…"

Ash and Misty gasped. "They did _what?_" Misty exclaimed.

"When Brock and Natty showed up, I was helping the scientist who perverted the Red Chains to work on people. He was the one controlling me. At first, I was going to incapacitate them… even under his control, I didn't want them to get hurt."

"My jaw still hurts," Brock complained.

Brian glanced at him sheepishly. "Sorry… if it's any consolation, my forehead still hurts. Anyway, I punched Brock, and tried to push the Red Chain on Natty. Then Quasar—the scientist—ordered me to destroy them both." Brian's voice shook. "And, Mew help me, I tried. I pulled Slifer on Natty and ordered him to Hyper Beam her…" he didn't go on.

Natty grabbed his hand. "Look at me, Brian." He met her eyes. "I know it wasn't you. Don't think I blame you. I don't. I could never believe you would try to hurt me. If anyone's to blame, it's that bastard Quasar. So don't blame yourself." Natty turned and finished the story. "I convinced Slifer not to listen to Brian. So he recalled Slifer and Brock jumped up and punched him in the face. That broke the Chain piece." She shrugged. "And that was that."

"Wow," Ash said. He looked at Misty. "And all we found was an empty room and a Team Galactic convention."

"I don't know whether I should feel relieved or cheated," Misty said.

"Kachu," Pikachu suggested.

Misty nodded. "Happy is good. I can do happy." She smiled at Ash.

Nurse Joy's voice interrupted them over the intercom. "_Brian Edwards, Natalia Brown, your Pokémon are ready for pickup at the front desk._"

"That's us!" Natty exclaimed. "Come on!" She grabbed Brian's hand and dragged him along with her.

"Hey, I'm coming, I'm coming."

Brock, Ash, and Misty watched them go. Brock and Misty locked eyes meaningfully.

"I give it a year," Brock said.

"What? No way," Misty argued. "He's way too stuck in the past. You're on."

"Twenty bucks?"

"Deal. Did you pay off Natty yet?"

"Damn." Brock started rifling through his bag for his wallet.

"So what did you bet her?" Ash asked.

"Before we left Kanto, we made a bet on whether you'd get your body or not…" Brock said.

Misty gave him a disappointed look. "Brock! You bet against us?"

"It was a one-in-a-million shot!" Brock defended. "Besides, it wasn't _that_ big a bet…"

"How much?" Ash asked.

Brock coughed a little, and under his breath, he muttered "Two hundred."

Misty shook her head. "Oh, ye of little faith… Serves you right."

"Serves who right?" Natty asked, re-entering with Brian.

"Oh, nothing," Misty said. "Just reminding Brock to pay you."

Natty's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! Brock, you—"

"I'm getting it!" Brock snapped. He started counting out twenties. "One, two, three, six, nine, ten, here!" He shoved the wad of bills into Natty's hands. "Now go away."

"No," she replied petulantly, plopping down next to him and rippling the money in his ear.

"So… what now?" Ash asked.

"Well, we've got to get you legally alive again first," Brian said. "But since you were declared dead with no body and the house burned, I think you'll just need several witnesses identifying you. Then you'll probably have to test for your trainer's license again, but you know Oak might let you off on that one."

"No, not that," Ash explained. "I mean, what now as in immediately now. Are we going home now that we're done?"

"Not necessarily," Misty said. "Why go home?"

"Yeah. We've still got a month left before anyone expects us back," Brock added. "I say we make the most of it!"

"Whoo! Vacation!" Natty cheered.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"It would be nice to just relax for a while," Brian acceded.

"Well, then…" Misty opened a brochure from nowhere. "There's the Super Contests in Hearthome, and we could go visit that Resort near Lake Valor, and ooh! There's the beautiful canals in Canalave!" She lowered the thing for a moment. "I bet there's lots of Water Pokémon out there!"

"Well, let's be fair. We've got thirty-five days until our plane leaves to go home," Brian said. "If everybody picks a place, we can probably reach five vacation spots in five weeks."

"Hey, wait! I just realized, I don't have any travel stuff!" Ash said in half panic. "I've only got the clothes I'm wearing, and no bags or Pokéballs or tents or anything! How am I gonna live on the road?"

Brian sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll get my checkbook, you worthless bum… at least we're in the town with the Department Store."

Misty shook her head. "No, that's not right. He's my boyfriend, and if anyone's taking him shopping, it's going to be me."

Natty jumped up. "Can I—"

"No," Misty interrupted.

Natty sat back down glumly. "Crabby witch."

Misty glared at her. "You know, I've never malleted a girl before, but I'm willing to make an exception…" She grinned deviously. "Which reminds me…"

WHAM!

"Ow ow ow ow!" Ash rubbed his head as he jumped up. "What was that for?"

"_That_ was for jibing me at Professor Oak's lab!" Misty said triumphantly, holstering her mallet.

"Pain hurts," Ash stated.

Brian nodded sagely. "Truer words were never spoken. Also, stupider words."

Misty dragged Ash up. "Come on, let's go get you some stuff." They walked together out of the room, Pikachu following close behind.

"Bring back presents!" Natty called after them brightly.

"Jump off a bridge!" Misty sang from the hall.

Brian laughed. "This is the best day of my life," he said happily.

"Why is that?" Brock asked.

Brian grinned. "Misty found somebody to smack other than me!"

"I'm going to the store, too," Brock said, standing up. "I'm going to look at their breeding stock." As he walked out, he added under his breath, "And maybe keep an eye on those two."

Brian and Natty were left alone on the bed. "Um… Brian?" Natty asked.

"What?"

"Just… Thanks for caring about me earlier." She kissed him on the cheek.

He looked at her in utter shock. "Uh… uh… you're welcome?"

She shot up and ran out the door to hide her blush. "Come on! Let's see the town!"

Brian stood up, still slightly dazed. "Huh… you know, I'm starting to wish this trip was a little less adventurous after all."

"Are you kidding?" Natty poked her head around the door, giggling. "That's what being a trainer is all about!"

Brian nodded thoughtfully. "So it is…" He walked out of the room behind her, and closed the door.

"So it is."

* * *

In a secluded cave on another continent far, far away, a Pokémon sat in intense thought.

_Hmm… something feels… different. Can it really be? _He threw his mind across the expanse of the world, searching for the feeling he had recognized from so long ago.

"Mew mew mew?" His companion, a tiny pink Mew, noticed his internal conflict and approached him. "Mew meow mew?"

"_No,_" He thought at his friend. In his mind, the Pokémon smiled. "_Nothing is wrong at all. In fact,_" he continued, finally catching a fleeting glimpse of the person he had thought long since lost, "_I think that things are finally going to be right._"

"Mew mew!" Mew smiled, and the Pokemon laughed with his companion for a while. It was the first time he had ever laughed.

_I suppose no one can be right all the time,_ Mewtwo said to himself. _Not even me._

* * *

Notes

Whoa.

I can't believe it.

It's finally over! My first chaptered story! Done! Kaput! Finito!

But, wait… why isn't it marked complete? Did I miss something?

Hmm…

Oh, of course! The Epilogue!

Well, there you go, people. Chapter Eleven, the last full chapter, is finally complete.

So, as is customary, here's what I thought about it:

First off, this was by far the longest chapter. Every other chapter was between nine and eleven thousand words, and this one clocked in at just under seventeen grand, not counting these notes. Why is that? Well, remember last chapter when I said I had about three chapters left until the end, including the epilogue? Notice how that obviously wasn't true? Well, I was planning on having Chapter Eleven cover **only** the break in at Galactic HQ, and ending the chapter at some point between. Then I got there and realized I was going to have two chapters just under my previous lengths, each one being about eight and a half thousand words. So, as I was struggling to find a good ending point for the chapter anyway, I thought, "Hey! I'll just post it all at once, and make the last plot chapter Super Special Awesome!" And so this chapter was born.

I didn't post a warning at the top because I feel like those are really, really stupid. I mean, if the fact that the chapter is _extra long_ is a bad thing to you, then I do not and cannot understand what you want from me. I mean, I spent a good chunk of time writing this. Speaking of which, weird coincidence: According to my records, I had the idea for this story on August 19, 2009. As I write these words, it is 12:01 a.m. on August 19, 2010. So after I edit this in the morning and make sure everything is okay, I'll almost certainly end up posting this chapter _exactly_ one year after I had the idea for the story. Weird, huh?

By the way, the epilogue that I'll probably start writing the day after this is posted won't be as long as a normal chapter. It's just going to tie up the loose ends, maybe start something up, and then it'll all be over. I don't know how long that will take, but it sure as hell won't be ten thousand words, unless I'm really underestimating how many loose ends I have. (I count about three, tops, plus one extra thing I'm adding just because I like it and I've planned it for months.)

I kind of felt the whole "mind-control" thing was a bit rushed. Like it started and ended pretty quickly. But I liked the idea and wanted to include it, there just weren't a lot of things to DO with it at this point in the story. If I had had the idea earlier, he would have been captured back in Celestic, and probably been their adversary for the whole time until he was freed in this chapter. (Of course, that would have robbed the whole "OMG, he's Galactic now! Punch Brock in the face!" moment of some of its surprise. I wonder which path was the better one, now.)

The latitude and longitude from earlier is an actual place in the Hokkaido region of Japan, very near where Spear Pillar would be on the map. (The map of Sinnoh is based on Hokkaido, FYI.) I picked a place with a mountain, but I can't remember where exactly. I don't guess it matters too much, though.

I borrowed some stuff from the episode "The Battle Finale of Legend!" in this chapter. I tried to put my own spin on most of it, keeping as little dialogue as possible, but some of it slipped through. Luckily, the different characters and Pokémon changed how it played out naturally, not to mention that their plans were a bit different.

Here's your last challenge, readers. Slifer's final technique, _The End of All and Nothing, _is a reference to something. Does anyone recognize it? If you do, tell me, and I'll put your name in the Epilogue's notes. And don't even try Googling it! I already did, and the source doesn't come up. Ha!

I always thought that Misty would play the song, but when I finally got there, I realized that there was no way for her to know it. (Except for some BS solution that "she just knew it when the time came," which would seem even stupider since I planned for the song to turn out to be Zelda's Lullaby since about Chapter Six.) And I tried very hard to make it so that if you really worked it out, you would get a Triforce from my description earlier without actually _saying_ that it was one, so that the solution wouldn't be obvious. But by the time I got there, I realized that I had neglected to have anyone learn Zelda's Lullaby except for, well, the obvious person. So I kind of wrote myself into a corner there. Sorry.

Arceus' personality was weird for me. I considered making him all high-and-mighty, but then I realized that would make him seem like a jerk. So I settled on a powerful person with a sense of humor, and I liked how it went.

Did anyone else like Misty yelling at what basically amounts to a god? Because I did.

After they were done, I just ran with whatever came to mind as for what they would do at the Center. I felt like they deserved a vacation, so why not?

And I like ending where I began, so I put in that last bit with Mewtwo, which I felt tied things up nicely.

Well, that about does it for me. I want to thank everyone who has ever reviewed, and who ever will review, and I'm so glad that so many people have read and enjoyed this story. Now… please review? Pretty please?

I'll catch you all for the epilogue, and we'll see where we go from there! See ya!

James, aka FTEcho 4


	12. Epilogue: Together

Well… here we are. The very last chapter. It's been a fun run, right? I hope that each of you has enjoyed this as much as I have. I've loved every moment of writing this story, and it's with a great deal of sadness that I finally bring it to a conclusion. But I suppose all good things must end. Okay, then… Are you ready? Here we go…

* * *

**Of Creation and Destruction**

_Epilogue: Together_

"Ash."

"Ash."

"Aaaaaaaaaash…"

"Damn it, Ash, get up!"

Ash groaned, pulling his pillow over his ears. "Just two more min—_waah! Cold!_"

With a mighty heave, Misty yanked the sheets out from under Ash, spinning him off the couch and onto the linoleum floor of the living room.

One of the perks of being a spirit, one to which Ash had become quite accustomed, was the absence of a sense of temperature. To a spirit, a glacier or a volcanic crater is just as comfortable as a warm summer day. While having a body might be better most of the time, Ash had to admit that being a ghost wasn't _all_ bad; there aren't many things worse than cold linoleum on bare flesh.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! So cold!" Ash leapt up onto the couch, crouching on the cushion and glaring back and forth between Misty and the floor like a feral Pokémon. "I said two minutes! It's not like I was going to sleep forever!"

Misty growled. "That's the fifteenth time you've said 'just two more minutes!' Do you want to be a trainer or not?"

"Duh."

"Then get your lazy ass off my couch and get dressed!" Misty stormed off. As she went, she said, "I know you like to sleep now that you actually can, but if we don't get out of here today, I'm going to hold you here for _another_ month. And I'm going to make you clean _every_ pool _every_ day. With a toothbrush."

From another room, Ash heard, "Trust me, she means it!"

"Shut up, Bry!" Ash grumbled back. He went to his backpack in the corner and rummaged for some clothes to wear.

Even if he was kind of cross about it, Ash understood why Misty wanted him up. Today was the last day, or perhaps more appropriately the _first_ day. Everything had finally been taken care of, and today Ash and Misty were setting off to Johto, where Ash would start collecting badges for the Johto League.

* * *

It had been an interesting couple of months.

Sinnoh had been exactly the vacation they hoped for. They'd relaxed at a resort, watched a Contest in Hearthome, visited the Pokétch Company in Jubilife, visited Gary and Professor Rowan at the Valley Windworks, and finally relaxed on the beaches of Sandgem Town. (In order, those were Brock's choice, Natty's choice, Brian's choice, Ash's choice, and Misty's choice.) Then when they'd finally run the course in Sinnoh, they returned to Eterna City, dealt with the horrible evils of the airport, and they were back in Kanto.

Once there, the real problems began, starting with Misty's sisters.

* * *

"Daisy?" Misty stuck her head around the doorframe into Daisy's room, watching Daisy reading a glamour magazine on her bed.

"Yeah, sis?"

She moved into the room, rubbing her hands anxiously. "Well… I need to talk to you and Lily and Violet."

Daisy looked up from her magazine. "Is it about Ash?"

Misty nodded hesitantly.

Daisy sighed, then closed it and stood up. "Well, I can't say I didn't, like, totally see this coming. Lily! Violet!" Daisy shouted. "Meeting in my room!"

"Why?" Violet shouted back.

"Because I said so!"

"What's up?" Lily said, walking past Misty.

"Misty wants to talk to us."

"Is it about Ash?" Lily asked. Misty nodded again, and Lily sat on the bed Daisy had just vacated.

"This had better be important," Violet said as she walked in, shaking one hand. "I was, like, reapplying my nail polish."

"Misty's got something to say," Daisy replied.

Violet glanced at her youngest sister. "Is it about—"

"Yes!" Misty burst out. "It's about Ash!"

"Thought so." Violet sat next to Lily.

"Okay," Daisy said. "It's, like, all yours."

"Um…" Misty started. "First off, I've taken good care of the gym for the last few years, right?" Her sisters looked at her blankly. "While you've been off travelling the world." The same looks. "And I've become really, really good at training Water Pokémon." No change. "And I really think that I might be able to become a Water Master someday. Plus, now that Ash has come back, he's going to be travelling again once he gets his trainer's license back."

"Misty, just go with the kid." Daisy interrupted her.

"And… wait, what?"

"What?" Lily said. "You think we didn't, like, know this was coming?"

"Uh…" Misty was speechless.

"We've already talked about it among ourselves," Daisy said. "As soon as you brought Ash here, we knew you'd want to travel with him again. Especially now that you've, like, got him hanging on your arm."

"Hey!" Misty interjected angrily. "I never said me and Ash—"

"And we never asked." Violet stopped, waving her hand. "It was, like, obvious."

"And about time, too," Lily added.

"So we've decided to give you your turn." Daisy flipped her hair. "I talked to Martin, and he's managing things so we can run our shows out of the gym again. He figures enough people have heard of us that we'll, like, bring in new people from all over. And we're going to work out a schedule so we can take turns as Gym Leader."

"So…" Misty ran it over in her head. "Then… I'm free?"

Daisy smiled at her. "As free as you want to be."

"I'm…" Misty grinned and ran at Daisy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She hugged Daisy, then Violet, and finally Lily. "Thank you all so much."

"You've, like, got to promise not to be mad when the gym isn't number one anymore, though," Lily said.

"Just do your best. I believe in you!" Misty replied with a wink. Then she ran out of the room, yelling for Ash.

She found him waiting nervously in the kitchen with Pikachu. They stood up as she entered, a grin appearing on his lips as he saw her joyful face.

"They said yes!" Misty exclaimed.

"Yes!" Ash laughed as Misty ran into his arms. He picked her up and spun her around once.

"Pika, Pikachupi pika Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped around them for joy.

Misty gazed into his eyes. "Now you'll never get away from me again, Ketchum," she whispered.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He gave her a loving kiss.

* * *

Then came another decision.

* * *

"I quit."

"What?" Misty asked casually as she looked through her clothes, picking out outfits for the road. "You quit what?"

"I'm not sticking around anymore," Brian replied. "I'm quitting as your gym assistant. Or as your sisters' assistant, whatever you like."

"Hmm?" She gave him her attention. "What for?"

"I'm not needed here now that there's going to be three Gym Leaders. So I've been thinking since we got back from Sinnoh, and I've decided that I'm going to take on the Hoenn league again."

"Again?" Ash asked. "Why?"

"Because I know what I did wrong last time. This time, I _know_ I can win. I've trained here for the last year, my team has gotten tons better for it, and I've gone over my battles in my head ten thousand times. So this year I'm going to gather all the badges, and I'm going to take on the League again. And when I win the League, I'm going to take down the whole Elite Four and Master Wallace one by one."

"Oh, Wallace," Misty sighed. "He's so… awesome."

Brian rolled his eyes. "And _that_ is why I think I can defeat Wallace. Fighting Misty so much has given me as much experience taking down Water Pokémon as anyone in the world." He clenched a fist and looked down at it. "I've realized my dreams are within my grasp. So I'm going to go make them reality."

"Well, that's your choice, then," Misty said. She smiled at him. "I'm glad you're finally moving forward again."

"Yeah… I've got you to thank for that, Misty." Brian laughed. "I really don't know how I would have made it here without you… and Natty."

"So are you going it alone?" Ash asked suggestively. "Or are you bringing a certain Breeder with you?"

Brian went a little red. "Um… I haven't asked her yet."

"Do it," Misty said. "She'll say yes, trust me."

"What makes you say that?"

Misty shrugged. "Call it woman's intuition."

"Ah."

"So when are you gonna go?" Ash asked.

"Oh, I'm not in any hurry," Brian remarked. "Since I don't technically _need_ any badges, I can skip the whole thing if I want. But I figure I'll leave when you two go. Unless Natty needs me to wait," he added quietly.

"That's great," Misty said. She went back to her clothes. "Hey, Ash, what do you think of this?" She held up a white and blue top.

"I dunno," Ash said. "I think you look good in anything."

Misty rolled her eyes. "That's sweet, Ash, but you're useless." She looked at it appraisingly. "I think it looks more mature than what I usually wear. I'm packing it."

Brian scratched his neck awkwardly. "Uh… huh. I thought this would be bigger news."

"Nope," Misty replied.

"Okay… I'll just go find Natty then," Brian said, walking out.

"Good luck," Ash replied.

"Not that he'll need it," Misty added.

* * *

Next was a renewal.

* * *

"Okay, Ash, are you all done?"

"Yeah, I'm good!" Ash yelled back. "I'm just finishing up, Professor!" Ash clicked through the last few questions and submitted the quiz. "Did you get it?"

"Yes, it's grading now," Professor Oak replied. "You can come in now if you'd like."

Ash walked through the lab to Oak's personal office, where Oak's computer was grading Ash's final exam. Ash had spent the morning with Professor Oak having his Death Certificate revoked, and now he was finishing the Trainer Licensing Test so that he could legally train a Pokémon again.

"So, Ash, which Pokémon are you going to choose as your starter?" Oak remarked.

"Thanks, Professor, but no thanks. I talked to Misty and Pikachu, and he's decided that he wants to be my starter again, so I'm all set."

"Ah, that's good." Oak nodded. "Pikachu's experience will help you grow as a trainer."

"That's what I'm hoping!" Ash chuckled. "I've been battling Misty with him every day for a while now. She usually wins."

"Well, that's to be expected," Oak replied. "She didn't get to be the top Gym Leader for nothing, you know."

A happy beeping tune came from Oak's computer.

"Hey! Here we are, Ash!" Professor Oak said. "Your test results have come out high enough, so I'm happy to say that you're a legally licensed Pokémon trainer!"

"That's great!" Ash exclaimed.

"Well, Ash, here you go." Professor Oak pulled out a drawer from his desk, and out of it came a brand-new Pokédex and six Pokéballs. He scanned the Pokédex into the computer, registering Ash's data into it, then held the set out to him. "The standard trainer's starter kit."

Ash took the tools from him. "Thanks, Professor. Although I've got to say it feels kind of weird to be taking this stuff from you again."

"It has been a while," Professor Oak said. "But it's always the same. Take care of those things, now. I can't keep giving those out!"

"I'll do my best!" Ash stood up. "Thanks for all your help today, Professor Oak. But I've got to get back home… I mean, to Cerulean Gym."

"You might as well call it home, Ash," Oak said. He tapped a finger on his chest. "After all, they do say 'home is where the heart is.'"

"I guess they do," Ash responded.

"Ash?" A voice came from the front of the laboratory.

"Speaking of hearts…" Ash turned. "Hey! I've just finished, Misty! I'm in here with the Professor!"

"Okay!" Misty followed Ash's voice into the room. "Hey, Ash. How'd it go?"

"Guess!" Ash held up his new Pokédex.

"You got through! Great!" Misty cheered. "Thanks for helping him, Professor."

"No problem at all, Misty," Professor Oak replied.

"Well, I wish I could stick around, but Brian and Natty are waiting outside, so we really need to get going. Komodo's getting restless already, and nobody's packed to walk back."

"Okay, Misty, I'm coming."

"Good luck in the Johto League, Ash," the Professor said.

Ash gave his trademark victory pose. "Thanks, Professor! If anyone's gonna win, it's gonna be me!"

"Looks like Mr. Pokémon Master wanna-be is back already." Misty sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash demanded as they walked away.

"Oh, those two," Professor Oak chuckled quietly to himself. "No matter how old they get, they're still the same kids as ever." He turned to his computer and began to work.

* * *

The month of preparation had been a busy one, but it, like all things, came to an end.

And now, finally, the hour had come.

Misty, Ash, Brian, Natty, and Misty's sisters all stood outside Cerulean Gym, the former four prepared for their journeys, wherever they might go. They'd decided to travel together as far as Pallet Town, where Ash and Misty would turn west and head towards New Bark Town, while Brian and Natty would fly south to Seafoam Islands, where the ferry would take them across the sea to Hoenn. But for now, it was time for Misty to say her goodbyes.

"Take care, little sister," Daisy said.

"We'll make sure and, like, take care of the gym for you!" Lily added.

"You'd better watch after her!" Violet warned Ash.

Misty laughed. "Um, it's usually _me_ watching after _him_, actually."

"Hey! I've helped you out a couple times, too!" Ash argued.

Misty snorted at that. "Oh, yeah? Name _one_."

"Uh…" Ash drew a blank.

"And that's check and mate." Misty smirked.

"Is not!" Ash exclaimed.

"Is too!"

"Is _not!_"

"Is _too!_"

"Guys!" Brian interrupted. "Can't we at least get ten _feet_ down the road before you two start arguing?"

"Obviously not," Natty said.

"Chu," Pikachu sighed dramatically.

Those three turned and walked away, leaving Ash and Misty to hurry and follow them, still bickering as hard as ever.

"Ah, true love," Daisy said wistfully as the quartet moved out of sight.

Lily's eyes shone. "Isn't it, like, the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Violet rubbed at her eyes. "Yes, it's beautiful. Now, I'm, like, still really tired. So I'm going back to bed." She started to turn away.

"Oh, no you aren't!" Daisy grabbed her ear. "We've got work to do, and, like, we're going to do it!" She dragged her sister into the gym.

"But what about my beauty sleep?" Violet whined as the doors closed behind her.

Lily still looked down the road, though Misty had already disappeared.

"Make us proud, Misty. And make sure you keep your love close," she said to the air. "You've waited long enough for him, and it would be dumb to lose him now."

She turned and followed her sisters inside. After all, there was work to be done.

* * *

Another day, another goodbye.

After spending a night with Brock in Pewter City, the travelers were bidding _him_ farewell, too.

"You two had better not kill each other," Brock advised Misty and Ash. "I spent a year making sure you didn't, and now I'm not going to be there to break you apart. I'm just hoping you love each other enough to stop _just_ short of murder." He looked at Pikachu, perched atop Ash's head. "And Pikachu, make sure and give 'em a shock for me when they need it."

"Pi ka!" Pikachu let go of Ash's hat long enough to give an obedient salute.

"We won't actually murder each other, Brock," Ash said.

"Probably," Misty added. "Unless he really, really deserves it."

"I guess that's the best I can hope for." Brock sighed.

"I'm going to miss being your assistant," Natty said.

"I'll miss you too, Natty. You know, when things aren't quite crazy enough around here. Zane and Suzy are tame compared to you." When Natty had decided to travel with Brian, the duo had jumped at the chance to stick around the center.

Brian reached out a hand. "Brock, thanks for everything."

"Um… I don't really know what you're thanking me for, but okay." Brock shook his hand once.

"And sorry again for punching you," he added.

Brock rolled his eyes. "Just let it go, Brian. No one cares."

"_I_ care…" he grumbled.

"Just take care of yourselves, okay?" Brock said.

"Can do," Misty replied.

And so they set out once more.

* * *

There remains little more to tell.

After a fantastic walk through Viridian Forest (which left Misty near tears at several points from all the Beedrill) and another day of travel to reach Pallet Town (punctuated with some small excitement when Pikachu had to defeat the infamous Spearow swarm for the umpteenth time), the last goodbye finally came.

Just south of Pallet Town, on the shores of the sea, Brian and Natty faced Ash, Misty, and Pikachu.

"Well… I guess this is goodbye," Misty stated blankly.

"For now," Brian acceded.

"You know, I don't think we can ever thank you two enough for helping me get my life back," Ash said.

Natty smiled. "To me, just seeing you two happy is thanks enough."

"Well… anyway, if you ever need us, you'll know where we'll be!" Misty exclaimed.

Brian raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… what's the correct response? Adventuring? In Johto? Um… well, on this planet, obviously… Oh!" His eyes lit up. "I've got it! Together!"

Misty looked at Ash and smiled. "I'd say that's pretty accurate."

"Seems right to me," Ash agreed.

Natty bent down so she could hug Pikachu one more time. "Now, Pikachu, you'd better take care of them. Make sure they don't give each other too much brain damage."

Pikachu laughed. "Pichupi, Pikapi pika Pikachupi pichu kachu!"

Natty giggled in response. "I agree, but still. Watch out for them for me."

"Pi."

Natty stood up again. "Ash… Misty…" Tears started to form. "Thanks for being my friends."

"Thanks for being the happiest person I've ever known," Misty replied sadly.

"We'd better go," Brian said, laying a hand on Natty's arm. "Misty…" He smiled once, briefly. "Thank you so much. Without you… I don't know how I would have made it to this moment. For my life, for my happiness… thanks."

With no words left, Misty simply nodded.

Brian and Natty turned and walked to the sea. As they walked away, Natty slipped her hand into her companion's.

"Slifer!" Brian called out the Dragon, and he and Natty climbed onto his back. "Okay! Here we go… Slifer, take us to Seafoam Islands!" With one last roar, he climbed into the air, and shot forward over the ocean.

And so they were gone.

Ash and Misty looked at one another.

"Together?" Ash asked.

Misty grasped his hand and nodded. "Together."

They turned away from the ocean, towards the forest that stood between Kanto and Johto, and started to walk forward, Pikachu following right behind them. Hand in hand, they walked into the trees, towards so many new things: new friends, new Pokémon, a new land, a new adventure…

A new life.

Soon, the forest covered all that could be seen of them…

And they, too, were gone.

_The End_

* * *

**Acknowledgements**

First off… I want to say, this has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I've made new friends of my own, friends from near and far, and met so many people who love Pokémon and Pokeshipping as much as (and, indeed, sometimes far more than) me. To everyone who has read this, and most especially to all those who reviewed, thank you so much for sticking with me to the end.

Now, individually… I have one big one to start off with. To **Bittersweet Romanticide**, I say thank you. It was talking with you that gave me the idea for this story in the first place, and you were always there in the beginning helping me get the plot rolling along. You were there, leading me into writing, and I am extremely grateful for that. Without you, this story would never have got off the ground, or even been imagined. Most importantly, when I needed a friend and I reached out in desperation, you were there for me. That means more to me than I can ever put into words. For your inspiration and for your friendship, thank you from the bottom of my heart. (Oh, and because I sword I would say so at the end, I'd like to point out that the original inspiration for Natty was an OC by BSR by the same name, who is in fact her Author Avatar. With her permission, of course. Now my version of Natty has taken on a life of her own, and that makes me extremely happy. But I swear, I did not mean for her to end up with my Avatar in the beginning! It just happened! Oh, I forgot to mention that Brian is based on me. To all of those who guessed right, congratulations! Your prize is nothing!)

Next… to **Warlordess **and **Pikagurl23**, I have to say thanks, because you two have been a constant source of inspiration to me. And extra thanks for finishing Illicit Saints, Steph! You've also both been great friends, and I'm happy and proud to call you that. Thanks for everything!

Next up, I have an award to give out. To the ultimate reviewer, who has reviewed _every_ chapter within the first day it has been up, I award **Perfect Attendance** to **thedarkpokemaster**. No, his reviews aren't super long. But they told me that he's been paying attention reading every chapter, and he's always got something to say, and that means a lot to me.

Now, to the friend I've made _during_ this fic, who I still talk to even about things that aren't Pokémon! Thanks a bunch, **theorganizedmess**. I never expected to make friends from writing this, but I didn't expect a lot of things. Oh, and tell Stacy I hope she likes the Epilogue! I worked hard on it for her!

Well… I guess that's everybody! If I forgot you, and you think I shouldn't have, send me a note so I can apologize!

Now, I've got some **notes** on the story...

In the beginning, I never expected it to be an adventure. It was going to be about Misty and Ash overcoming a doomed relationship, where he was an immortal ten-year-old, and she grew up. But that was very, very sad, and once I got over my depression, it was just too… depressing! So I decided Ash would have to get a body.

For a long time, I figured Ash would get his body from Jirachi, the only Pokémon I could imagine having the ability to make him one. I even had another villain! For several months, I planned Ash and Misty to face off against Lawrence the Third! (The antagonist of Pokémon 2000.) I figured they would both go after Jirachi, but I just couldn't get the plot to resolve right. Then I found the Azure Flute method of summoning Arceus, and after that worked its way through my mind for a while, I finally decided that Arceus would have the power to create bodies just fine. After that, everything flowed pretty smooth.

Brian and Natty… in the beginning, they were throwaway characters like Joey and Stephanie, just placeholder friends showing that Misty wasn't a total social outcast. But they slowly wound their ways into my heart, and I just kept getting them closer to the plot until they couldn't be extracted without tearing the story apart. To you Pokémon purists, I ask that you forgive me for that. I also ask that my story be judged on how good it is as a whole, rather than how important Ash and Misty were to the plotline in comparison to other characters.

One last thing… remember Brian's sword? The Dream? I'm going to be as nonspecific as I can, but that is tied into the events of my upcoming Zelda story, titled **Resurgence**. So if you're really interested in knowing, you'll be able to find out over there. And yes, I really did tie a Legend of Zelda story and a Pokémon story together, albeit with a very thin thread.

That's all the notes I've got. I'm certain I've forgotten something, but I'll just let it go. I've done enough.

Wow… I can't believe it's really over. Unless… well… I don't know if I can just let this go. Or, rather, I know I can't. I can't just let it go! I want to see what happens next! What happens with Brian and Natty? How do Ash and Misty do in Johto? Is Brock's stew really _that_ good? There's so many questions left to answer, and I want to go find the answers to them. So who wants to go with me?

I don't have many details yet, so I can't give any estimates or plot descriptions, but I promise you now: this is not the end of this tale. I mean… It's the end of **Of Creation and Destruction**, but there will be more stories in what I have now dubbed _The Spiritverse_, in honor of the original title of this story, The Spirit of Youth. There's going to be at least one sequel, and almost certainly several one-shots, which take place in said Spiritverse. So don't fret too much, my dears! We've only just begun!

Well, that's it from me! I guess I'll catch you in some other story. See you then!

Best Regards,

James, aka FTEcho 4


End file.
